The Chronicles of Ohu
by Dark Scimitar
Summary: After the war against Akakabuto, Gin and his friends go on a journey to pay respects to the families of their comrades who died in battle, expecting it to be relatively uneventful. Unfortunately for them, it's not...
1. Story 1:  The Protector

**Author's Note: **This is going to be a collection of stories that take place after the wars against Akakabuto and the wolves during GNG. The plots of each one will be mostly unrelated (except for the main characters), but I might occasionally have a recurring element or character from one story in another one. It will be kind of episodic. It contains violence and some strong language...so yeah. Also, before I forget again, I forgot to thank narutotheowner127, SakuraAyanami, & ShiganameKyoushiro by name for reviewing my other story, so thank you very much guys! Hope you all enjoy this!

* * *

The forest was nearly pitch black at night. It was so thick and impenetrable that it let in practically no light after a certain point of the day, and as of that moment, that point was rapidly approaching. Sen shot his tongue out and casually slid it over his fangs, still tasting blood on them. That taste made him think back to the fight, and he grinned, remembering how the Terrier they had attacked had begged them not to hurt him. Pleaded. Told them he was just passing through. Makoto had broken his jaw right then and there and Sen torn his tail off just for a laugh, which he gotten when the dog had let out a high-pitched shriek of pain. Next to him, Makoto was clearly thinking about the same thing, but seemed restless, almost like it hadn't been satisfying enough for him. Sen glanced over at the Tosa.

"You know, we're getting pretty close to the Saitama Pack's territory." he said. "Think we should go around?"

"Fuck that." the other dog answered in a gruff voice. "It'll take an extra day. Besides, I'm bored. I need a good fight."

"You just had one!" Sen scoffed.

"What? That back there?" Makoto said. "Tch. That pussy was no challenge at all. He didn't even fight back."

"You messed him up pretty good, though." Sen laughed. "That's not enough for one day?"

Makoto grinned arrogantly and licked lips.

"It's better when they fight back." he responded. "It makes it more satisfying when you hurt 'em."

Sen nodded in agreement, looking around at the trees, and then stopped, doing a double take. Calling for his companion to stop, he gestured with his head.

"Hey, Makoto!" he called quietly. "Check this out!"

Padding back irritatedly, the Tosa walked up beside the mutt and followed his gaze. Then his interest perked. Moving slowly through the trees not more than 50 feet away from them was another dog. Looking closer, they saw that it was a Husky, the curved, fluffy tail giving it away, and that it was young, no more than 1-2 years old. Makoto let out a delighted chuckle.

"What do you know?" he said, looking at Sen with a bloodthirsty grin. "We're gonna get some warm-up practice."

Sen echoed his laugh and followed the bigger dog expectantly as he dashed forward, moving silently behind the trees. When the Husky was close enough, they leapt out in front of him, cutting off his path.

"Where you going, kid?" Makoto drawled, strutting stiff legged around him. "Taking a midnight stroll?"

The Husky didn't answer. He looked gaunt, and despite his youth, his eyes were sunken and tired, and he looked like he hadn't slept in a thousand years.

"Hey!" the Tosa snapped. "You hear me, bitch? This is **my **territory now! And walking in it without my permission is a punishable offense!"

"Please just let me pass." the Husky said softly, his voice sounding like he had lost the habit of using it. "Just let me keep going and I won't bother you."

Sen lunged out and smacked him in the face with a paw.

"No one said you could talk, bastard!" he hissed and Makoto laughed.

"You know, Sen." he said. "I think we should teach this kid some manners."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Sen responded, moving around to the opposite side of their victim.

The Husky's gaze, which had been on the ground during the whole encounter, panned up and met theirs, and they could both see that he looked terrified.

"Please." he whispered with a quaver in his voice. "You don't know what you're doing. Just leave…"

Makoto lunged and bit him on the back of the neck. Then he threw him to the ground and Sen stomped down on his chest to wind him. The Tosa grinned sadistically down at the younger dog as he let out a wheezing gasp.

"You're going to wish you never met me, boy." he said and Sen laughed.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the trees above their heads and both dogs looked up fast. Makoto took a few steps away from the other two.

"Oh, you have friends!" he growled, then shouted. "Come on out, you idiots, I can fucking hear you!"

There was no answer and more rustles sounded from different spots all around them. Sen looked around, seeing Makoto getting more and more pissed off by the second.

"What's the matter?" the Tosa yelled. "Too scared to come out and – "

Suddenly, there was movement from his left and Sen heard Makoto start screaming in pain. Looking over at him, the mutt froze in terror. The Tosa's lower jaw dangled from a single side, and the screaming noise he was trying to let out was muffled by the damage that had been done. Then there was a flash to his right and Makoto was on his back, his throat spouting blood from a gaping wound that had suddenly appeared there. Sen turned and ran, leaping around a tree back the way they had come and feeling his heart racing faster than it ever had before.

Immediately, he was hit from the back and felt a splitting pain in his underside before he found himself flying backwards into a tree. When he opened his eyes once more, Sen found that he couldn't move. Looking down at himself, he nearly fainted. His entire underside was split open and his entrails were spilling out onto the ground between his legs. Then he saw the young Husky walking past him once more, the same tired, sad expression on his face, and he let out a whine of fear and pain. The other dog stopped and turned.

"H-Help m-me…" Sen managed to get out.

The Husky shook his head and Sen suddenly saw a tall, looming black figure standing behind him, its blazing, maniacal eyes staring over the young dog's back right at him. Sen saw the Husky's head droop a little.

"I warned you." he whispered.

Then he turned and walked slowly away, and Sen saw the figure leap back into the darkness of the trees like a ghost, leaving him there bleeding heavily. Seconds later, Sen's vision faded entirely, and he died alone, his stunned mind not even able to comprehend the reason why.

* * *

Gin sighed, blinking fatigue out of his eyes as he heard John and Kurotora arguing behind him. It was still early in the day and he was tired as it was, but listening to his friends quarrelling after everything this trip was making them go through already was just making it worse. The group of them, all leaders and commanders of the Ohu Army, had left their home in Futago Pass only two weeks ago, traveling south in order to give condolences to the families of those who had died while fighting alongside them during the great battle against Akakabuto.

Gin had almost grown fully into his role of leader, despite the mere 3 months it had been since the battle's end and his father Riki's death, but nothing had prepared him for the challenge of facing the families of his deceased comrades, and having to tell them of their loved ones' demise. It was especially hard when they had left children behind, and it made him feel even worse to see **their** reaction to the knowledge that their father or uncle or brother was not coming back. Sometimes, in their grief, they even blamed Gin and the others, and though he was usually more than willing to accept the blame, whether it was actually his fault or not, some of his companions were not so understanding, and it made them quite angry. Kurotora was one of these, and given that they had just left a territory where this had happened, he was going off pretty fiercely at the moment, much to John's chagrin.

"God, Kai!" the German Shepherd was growling in irritation. "Shut up! Between this trip and your babbling it's a wonder one of us hasn't snapped yet!"

"I don't care!" came the snorted answer. "They didn't need to respond like that! We offered our condolences, what more did they want? They should keep in mind that we didn't have to come down here at all!"

"That's enough, Kurotora." Gin said calmly over his shoulder, having become something of an expert in dealing with the younger Kai brother's moodiness. "**You **should keep in mind that they've lost a loved one. Our suffering is nothing compared to theirs. Getting angry at them won't help a thing."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it, leader." Kurotora responded sullenly, though Gin could tell by his tone of voice that he had silently agreed.

"Where's our next destination, Gin?" Smith asked from behind him, "I'm getting hungry here."

From his position on Gin's right, Akame answered him before Gin could.

"The Saitama Prefecture." the ninja dog said. "And we're only about an hour out. Hold out Smith, we're nearly there."

"It's all right." Gin interrupted, coming to a stop. "A meal might do us some good."

He sniffed at the air, his nose picking up a number of scents as the rest of his friends stopped as well.

"There's a river over there." he said, gesturing with his head. "I'll go catch us some fish."

"Leader, you really don't have to." Chutora told him from his position near his brother. "One of us can go do it instead."

Gin chuckled.

"I got it." he said. "All of you rest a while."

Then he headed off, hearing Chutora quip:

"That's just like you, Smith. How dare you make the leader supply the food? Why don't you just go back to Ohu if you're not going to contribute!"

"Hey! Don't say unnecessary things, Tora!" came the response. "Gin did it because he wanted to! I just..."

As he went out of earshot of them, Gin yawned, stretching his legs a little as he approached the river. Walking up to its banks, he waded carefully into the water, keeping his eyes out for fish. Seeing one, he darted his head into the water and grabbed it in his jaws, tossing it onto the bank once he was sure it was dead. Suddenly, as he turned back to find another, his nose caught a new scent. Blood… Looking around, Gin perked his ears up, checking for anything suspicious. The area was quiet, and he frowned, seeing nothing.

'This journey is starting to get to me.' he thought. 'I'm getting paranoid.'

Shaking his head, he looked down at the river again…and found himself staring at a dead face under the water, its blank eyes wide and terrified as the flowing water washed its blood away down stream. Gin froze, his muscles tensing up as he looked at the corpse. It seemed to have floated down from upstream, getting caught on a rock as it reached the area where he was standing. That was the only way to explain how he hadn't seen or sensed it before. Checking to see if anyone was in sight around the river, Gin reached into the water and grabbed the dog by the back of his neck, yanking him off the rock and onto the shore seconds later. As he did, he heard a voice behind him.

"Gin? What the hell happened?"

Turning, Gin saw Smith standing there, his combined disgusted and startled expression telling him that the Setter had been harassed into coming to help by the others, only to stumble upon Gin's find. The Akita looked back at the corpse.

"I don't know." he said truthfully. "I found him in the water."

"Somebody did a real number on him." Smith said, sniffing it as he walked around it in a circle. "He's split open all the way down the middle."

Suddenly, before Gin could answer, the rest of the Ohu group burst out of the trees, looking ready for a fight.

"What's going on?" John asked intensely. "We heard Smith's yell."

"Scream is more like it." Kurotora teased, apparently having gotten over his earlier anger at least a little.

"Hey!" Smith barked in anger. "It wasn't – "

"Stop." Akame said simply, his voice calm but authoritative. "What happened here?"

"I don't know." Gin responded. "I just pulled him out of the water. It looks like he was killed not too long ago."

"Looks like he pissed someone off pretty good before he went too." Great remarked, looking at the gaping wound in the dog's underside.

"Do you think he's one of the Saitama dogs?" Chutora asked, and Gin shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." he said. "But either way, I think we should get there faster. Maybe they'll know who he is."

"We should bury him." Smith said and Gin nodded at him, watching as he and Great proceeded to dig a grave a few feet away for the dog's body.

Once they were done and the dog was buried, Gin called them all together and they moved out once more, increasing their speed to the territory of the Saitama pack.

* * *

"You're kidding!" a dog in the group in front of them yelped. "It's not true!"

"We're very sorry for your loss." Gin said, his head bowed with the others as he faced the group's leader. "You should know that your brother died bravely. We wouldn't have gotten as far as we did without him."

"As expected from Saito!" said another dog. "Even in death he was magnificent!"

Gin bit his tongue, not having the heart to tell them that Saito had died in one hit only seconds after the battle against Madara began, having not even brought down one bear. It had taken longer to get to Saitama then they had expected, and it was now later in the day, but once they had arrived, they had been brought immediately to the territory's boss dog, a Belgian Shepherd named Kouzou. Kouzou had welcomed them warmly, but had been understandably devastated to hear the news of Saito's death, as he was his little brother. And unlike the other dogs standing there, news of his older brother's heroism, false though it was, did little to comfort him, and he turned away from Gin and the others to try and compose himself a little. After a moment, he turned back.

"Was it quick?" he asked and John nodded.

"It happened fast." he said. "I don't think he felt much."

If Kouzou could tell they were still lying, he didn't show it, and he stood a little straighter as he walked back up to them.

"I thank you very much for coming all this way to tell us." he said, looking at Gin. "And you don't have to apologize. I know my brother was happy to help you in your worthy cause."

Gin was caught slightly off guard by the understanding and cordialness of this response and he suddenly found himself liking the other dog very much, grateful to him for the change of pace from the reactions in the other territories they'd been to.

"Thank you." he said. "You have our deepest sympathies."

Kouzou nodded at all of them and then turned away. Before he could leave, though, Gin got his attention once more.

"Forgive me," he said. "But on the way here, we found the body of a dog in the river about an hour away. A mix breed missing an ear. Was he one of yours?"

Kouzou looked exasperated.

"Damn it." he swore and a subordinate to his left turned to him immediately.

"What should we do with this one sir?" he asked and Kouzou glanced at him.

"Send out some scouts and check on it." he said. "Then report back to me."

"There's no need." Gin said before the other dog could respond. "We already buried him. Did you know him?"

Kouzou looked at him.

"His name was Sen." he responded. "He was a stray who lived around this area, sort of a local troublemaker and thug. Honestly, dying might be the best thing for him."

"What did he mean by 'this one'?" Akame asked from Gin's right and the Shepherd's gaze panned to him.

"There's been a number of unexplained deaths in this prefecture recently." he said. "Sen's brings it up to 8…that we know of."

"You can't figure out what's killing them?" the ninja dog asked after a pause and Kouzou shook his head.

"No." he answered. "We find them in different places, in different conditions, and there's never any witnesses. The only thing connecting them is that whoever killed them really seemed to enjoy ripping them to shreds. We found one a few days ago that had no face left at all."

Gin looked concerned by this news.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

"About two weeks." Kouzou responded. "I've warned the neighboring packs and had scouts keeping watch, but so far nothing's come of it."

Gin opened his mouth to say something else, but suddenly, another dog burst through the trees to his right, skidding to a halt a few feet from Kouzou.

"Sir!" he said, panting hard as if he had run very fast from wherever he'd come from. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've got another one. Sir, you need to see this."

Kouzou growled angrily.

"Son of a bitch!" he hissed and then ran after his subordinate, who had disappeared back into the trees.

Gin quickly leapt after him, hearing John, Akame, and the others right on his tail. At the pace they moved, it didn't take them long to find their destination, and soon they found themselves at the edge of a clearing overlooking another bend in the river, which flowed through most of the Saitama territory. There they found Kouzou and his dogs looking up at a tree near the water. When Gin did the same, he froze. Hanging from the tree, a branch speared through his neck to keep him suspended there, was the body of another dog, a Tosa this time, a gaping wound visible on his neck as his lower jaw dangled from only one side of his mutilated face.

"Damn…" Smith muttered, looking slightly sickened by the sight and Gin saw Kouzou shake his head.

"This bastard's getting bold." he growled. "This one's closer to our home base than any of the others."

Then he turned and looked at them, nodding back over his shoulder at the body.

"This dog's name is Makoto." he said. "He's a former fight dog from Shikoku that got expelled by the others a while back for killing his sparring partner in the ring illegally. After that he came up here. Makoto wasn't just a nasty piece of shit, he was also one of the best fighters in the area. Nobody but the boss dogs messed with him. Whoever had the balls to do **that** to him, must have some serious fighting skill."

"Does your pack have any enemies that could be targeting **you**?" Akame asked and the Shepherd shook his head again.

"No." he said. "I mean, of course we have enemies. Who doesn't? But any of ours would just attack us head on, fight it out face to face. None of them would do this, or have the skill to."

As Gin looked at him, he could tell by the dog's demeanor that he was getting worried and that this on top of the news of his brother's death was beginning to overwhelm him a little. Glancing over to his companions, he saw that they had noticed the same thing. John looked back at him as he stared.

"What are you thinking, Gin?" he asked, his expression revealing that he already knew the answer as the others behind him waited for official word.

Gin looked down at the ground, then back at the body.

"I can't just let this be." he said determinedly. "Whoever's doing this needs to be stopped."

John nodded with a small grin as he finished, clearly excited at the change of pace in their trip as the Kai Brothers, Smith, & Great echoed his supporting look. Kouzou, however, didn't agree with their sentiments.

"My pack and I can handle this." he said, though he didn't sound too sure of his own words. "You don't need to stay."

"Clearly you can't because otherwise you would've figured this out already." Kurotora snorted and the Shepherd frowned at him angrily, clearly offended.

"Kurotora, enough!" Gin said in a tone that wasn't to be argued with.

Then he turned back to the Shepherd.

"I don't doubt that you can, Kouzou." he said graciously. "But I ask you to let us stay anyway, at least until this is figured out."

Kouzou looked confused.

"With all respect, Gin." he said. "Why do you care? You don't even know us."

Gin smiled slightly at him.

"We knew your brother." he answered. "He was one of us."

"…Which makes you and your pack our allies." John continued before he could. "And we don't leave our allies standing alone when there's a fight to be had."

Kouzou let out a snort, but his face showed nothing but admiration.

"Then I thank you once again," he chuckled, looking at Makoto's body seconds later. "If only we knew where to start. He never leaves them where they're killed. He always moves them afterwards, which means that we're going to get nothing from here."

Gin turned slightly, stretching his legs.

"I think for now we should rest." he said. "It's almost dusk, and some sleep might do us good."

"And what if this bastard strikes again?" Kouzou asked.

"Then he'll leave a trace behind." Gin answered. "With our two groups combined, someone's bound to see something."

Then he nodded back towards the Saitama home base, and everyone followed him, none of them straying far from each other.

* * *

Gin stretched his legs as he lay down, hearing Smith let out a loud yawn as he flopped on the ground as well nearby. This almost immediately caused a spat with Chutora, and the Akita smiled slightly, amazed that the duo still had the energy to argue after the day they'd all had. It was only a half-hearted one, though. After they had arrived back, Kouzou had shown them a place to rest in, near the caves that the Saitama pack called their home base, and had had his hunters bring them something to eat. Gin had tried to dissuade him from doing this, but the Shepherd had done it anyway, clearly wanting to make his now famous guests happy.

Once he had taken his own advice and lay down to give his tired muscles a break though, Gin had started reminiscing back to his other friends, specifically the ones who had died in the war against Akakabuto. This didn't do much for his mood and it didn't take long for the young leader to begin to feel depressed. He had all but lost himself in these thoughts when someone lay down beside him.

"Leader, are you okay?"

Glancing up in surprise, Gin saw Akame looking at him concernedly, his whole body resonating with calmness despite what they were waiting for. Gin nodded with a faint smile.

"Yeah, I'm all right." he said. "I'm just distracted."

"With thoughts of what?" came another voice, and suddenly John was there too, his tail swishing back and forth behind him.

Gin sighed, looking at the ground. After a moment, he answered.

"…My father."

"What about him?" Akame asked.

"I don't know," Gin said, feeling slightly uncomfortable talking about it so openly. "I just…I wish I could've gotten the chance to know him, spend some time with him. I don't know why I'm thinking about it now."

"It makes sense." the ninja dog responded. "All we've seen on this trip are children who've lost their parents and vice versa. You just lost yours too, Gin. It's only natural you'd think of him."

"But why should it matter?" John said. "We all know he'd be proud of you."

Gin smiled.

"Thanks, John." he said gratefully. "I just wish I didn't miss him so much."

"Missing him just proves you cared about him, leader." Kurotora said from a few feet away, and they realized that he had been listening in. "Trust me, I know. I miss my brother every day."

Gin looked at him.

"Is it getting easier for you?"

Kurotora paused for a moment before answering.

"Yeah." he finally said. "And I don't want it to. The more you remember someone, the more they live on. At least, that's what I believe."

"That's a good thing to believe." Akame said in response and Kurotora gave a half-smile as he rested his head on his paws.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching and Gin lifted his head in curiosity right as a duo of Kouzou's guards emerged from the trees, escorting a third dog between them. They walked straight to Kouzou immediately.

"Boss," one of them said as the Shepherd looked up. "We caught this guy wandering through our territory. He says he wants to talk to you."

When Kouzou looked at the newcomer, a look of surprise spread over his face.

"Ryou!" he said, clearly caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"

The dog, a Husky, looked up at him almost sheepishly.

"Forgive me." he said, his voice sounding to Gin like he'd lost the habit of using it. "I was just passing through. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"I thought you were staying down by Hiroshima." Kouzou said, standing up.

"Not anymore." Ryou said quietly. "I ask politely if I can stay here for one night."

Kouzou tilted his head to the side, regarding him.

"I already have guests, Ryou." he said. "I'll have to think about it."

Listening to the exchange intently, Gin frowned as he looked at Ryou. He was young, the Akita decided, probably only a little younger than him, but his eyes were so tired looking and sunken in that he looked much older than he actually was. He was also very thin, Gin saw, and he found himself wondering concernedly if the young dog was ill with something. This was also what Kouzou was thinking, because seconds later, he said:

"You look awful, Ryou. Are you sick?"

"No."

"When's the last time you ate? You're so thin you practically don't exist!"

Gin could tell that the Shepherd had meant it mainly as a lighthearted tease to boost the other dog's spirits, but Ryou didn't react.

"I haven't been hungry lately." he mumbled, looking very sad. "It's a phase, nothing more."

Frowning a little as well, Kouzou cocked an eyebrow. Then he nodded slowly.

"All right." he said. "You can stay for a few nights if you need to. There's some food over there if you want it."

"Thank you, Kouzou-san" came the soft-voiced response, and soon Ryou was on the ground at the edge of the group, facing away from them all, his eyes shut already in sleep.

Keeping his gaze on the Husky, Kouzou walked over to Gin, who leaned in close.

"Who is that?" he asked as the others listened in as well.

"His name's Ryou." Kouzou responded. "He's the son of the former boss dog of a neighboring pack a ways South of here."

"Is his pack friendly?" John asked and Kouzou nodded.

"They were." he said. "They all died a couple years ago, mostly because of humans. Ryou's one of the few who survived. He's been a rogue ever since."

"You think he has something to do with these deaths?" Chutora asked from where he lay near his brother and Kouzou shook his head.

"I doubt it," he said. "He's a pretty normal male, even if he is kind of a loner. I've never seen him look this bad though."

"No kidding." Smith said quietly. "He looks like he hasn't slept or eaten anything in years!"

Kouzou nodded.

"That's why I let him stay." he agreed. "Hopefully I can at least convince him to take care of himself a little better."

"That would definitely be good for him." John commented, glancing over at the silent dog's back.

"Even if he has nothing to do with the deaths," Great said reasonably, "He may have heard something about them during his time as a rogue that we didn't."

"Maybe," Kouzou agreed. "Good luck getting him to tell you though. Ryou's not the talkative type."

"I'll see if I can get him to open up." Gin said and stood up, walking silently over to the resting young dog as the others all watched.

When he was beside him, Ryou's head raised quickly and Gin smiled at him disarmingly.

"Sorry," he said kindly. "I didn't mean to startle you. You mind if I sit here?"

Ryou glanced around, as if reassuring himself that it wasn't a trick, and then nodded shyly. Lying on his stomach, Gin tossed a small piece of food to the other dog.

"In case you change your mind and get hungry." he said when Ryou looked at him confusedly. "I'm Gin, leader of Ohu."

Ryou's eyes suddenly widened with excitement.

"You're from Ohu?" he asked and Gin nodded.

"Yeah." he said. "Why? Have you heard of us?"

"Who hasn't?" Ryou said in his soft voice. "I've heard dozens of other dogs talk about you guys on my travels! I always kinda wanted to meet all of you. Is it true you killed that bear? Akakabuta?"

Gin laughed good-naturedly.

"Akakabuto." he corrected. "And yes, I did. But it wasn't just me. Everyone being there is what defeated him."

"I'd love to see Futago Pass one day." came the response and Gin nudged him with a paw.

"Why don't you?" he asked. "We wouldn't mind if you visited."

Ryou suddenly looked nervous.

"I…" he said, glancing up at the trees above them. "I just…can't."

Gin noticed this and changed track instantly.

"Ryou," he said. "I don't know if Kouzou told you yet, but there's been some deaths in this area recently. As a rogue, you must hear a lot that we don't, so…I was wondering if you'd heard anything about it."

Ryou tensed up and Gin knew he was getting somewhere. The husky looked away from him.

"Yeah." he said, fidgeting with a paw. "There's been deaths down South too. I don't even know how many. It's not just around here."

"Do you know what's causing them, Ryou?" the Akita asked, trying not to sound too intimidating.

Now the other dog looked very uncomfortable and didn't answer, giving a small shrug that suggested he knew more than he was saying. Before Gin could say anything else though, a loud scream of pain shattered the silence. Everyone was on their feet instantly and Gin saw Kouzou's head whip towards where it had come from.

"This way!" he cried and leapt off after it, John, Akame, and the Kais right behind him.

"Oh no." Ryou moaned and Gin took note of this, but did not show that he had heard.

"Stay here!" he yelled to everyone else. "Smith, look after them!"

"Yes, leader!" the Setter responded and Gin quickly caught up to them, leaping up beside John only seconds later.

Stopping for a moment to sniff at the ground, Kouzou suddenly veered right and they almost immediately came to a halt by a large rock. Lying at the base of it was the body of a dog, one of the Saitama pack's perimeter guards, and his throat had been torn out so completely that they could see the bone of his spine through his wound. Kouzou snarled in anger.

"Where are you, you bastard?" he yelled at the dark, but before anything else could happen, Gin saw Akame stiffen up.

He and John both noticed instantly.

"What is it, Akame?" John asked and the ninja dog turned his head slightly, a look of alarm on his face.

Then he looked at them intensely.

"It's a diversion." he said and then turned and darted back through the trees, yelling: "Get back to the others!"

A few hundred yards away, Smith stood staring into the darkness, looking intently in the direction Gin and the others had gone, trying to see anything unusual. Wilson was beside him and he heard the Collie say:

"Anything?"

"No." he responded. "Which figures."

Suddenly, he heard a growl, and turned to see one of Kouzou's pack mates advancing on Ryou.

"That's it!" he was yelling. "I've had enough! What do you have to do with this, runt? Spit it out!"

"You don't understand – " Ryou tried to say, but the dog suddenly charged and knocked him onto his back with a 'THUD'.

"Answer me!" he barked and Smith leapt over instantly, getting in between him and the younger dog.

"That's enough!" he said. "Stand down!"

"Screw you pal!" the other dog said, clearly angry and frightened. "This isn't even your territory! Now get out of my way!"

Then he tried to push past him, but Smith stood his ground with a growl.

"I said BACK OFF!" he spat, and before the other dog, a mutt of some kind, could respond, they heard a rustle in the trees above them.

Looking up in surprise, Smith frowned. There was no wind that could've caused it, and he could see nothing there once again, but then Ryou stood, and when the Setter looked at him, he could see that the Husky looked scared.

"Wait!" he yelled up at the branches above them. "He didn't mean it! He's scared, just leave him alone!"

Smith's frown intensified at this bizarre behavior, but then there was a louder rustle.

"HEIZO!" Ryou screamed loudly, and suddenly something shot out of the trees right above Smith's head.

He heard a sickening 'CRUNCH' and a spray of blood hit him in the face as the mutt dropped to the ground in front of him. Then, before he knew what was happening, Smith found himself flying across the clearing, and he registered that his chest hurt like a bitch only seconds before he hit a tree hard, coming to rest on his stomach.

"Smith!" he heard Wilson yell in alarm, but his eyes went immediately back to Ryou, and what he saw sent a chill through his whole body.

The younger dog lay unmoving on the ground where he had been, his limpness suggesting that he had been knocked unconscious, and standing over him, his form little more than a silhouette in the dim light, stood a much larger dog. His shape appeared to be similar to that of Ryou upon first glance, but when his gaze suddenly panned over and locked with Smith's, the setter saw a pair of blazing, murderous eyes staring back at him, a cold, lifeless, calculating look emanating from every single inch of them. For a moment, Smith just stared, caught entirely off guard, but then the figure picked up Ryou in its jaws and threw him over its back, disappearing back into the trees seconds later as Smith yelled:

"Wait!"

Suddenly, though, Akame, Gin and the others who had followed Kouzou ran past him at full speed, most of them dashing immediately after the fleeing killer. Seeing the state of his friend though, Gin skidded to a halt along with Chutora.

"Smith!" he called in concern. "Are you – "

"I'm fine!" the Setter responded. "Go!"

Gin needed no more persuasion. He and Chutora immediately leapt after the others and Gin put on a burst of speed, moving quickly up to where he was level with John. Above him, he saw Akame leaping from branch to branch with astonishing grace, and before they even got 100 more feet, the ninja dog lunged, his teeth bared as he aimed for a dark figure that Gin only noticed in that instant. He knew immediately that the hit was good though, because the killer's figure flew sideways into a tree, a smaller form detaching from him and falling off to the side as he did. As Gin raced to catch it, doing so moments later, he saw the intruder ricochet off another tree and fly back at Akame, and soon the two dogs were locked in combat, snarling loudly as they ripped and slashed at each other in midair. Below, John and Kurotora waited for their quarry to fall so they could join in the fight, but instead it was Akame who fell to the ground, twisting at the last second to land perfectly on his paws as the attacker fled, disappearing back into the darkness of the trees.

"That way!" Gin heard Kurotora yell and they started to run off after it.

"Wait!" he yelled at his friends, Kouzou coming up beside him. "Nobody follow him!"

They all skidded to a halt in confusion and Kurotora turned back angrily.

"Why the hell not?" he asked, but it was Akame who answered.

"Whoever that is is highly trained." he said intensely, panting as a few of his battle wounds seeped blood through his white fur. "We can't afford to get separated."

Kurotora grunted dejectedly, knowing that he was right, but then Kouzou looked down at the form on the ground with a small growl. It was Ryou, and the Shepherd glared at him.

"Let's find out what's going on." he said and picked up the younger male. "Follow me."

Gin didn't argue, understanding the other dog's anger, and the Ohu soldiers followed Kouzou quickly until he reached the river, and the large waterfall that was situated in the middle of it. Without warning, Kouzou suddenly leaped at the middle of the falls and disappeared through it, not emerging after he did. His voice, however, did.

"There's a cave behind the waterfall!" he called. "Leap through it!"

Looking at each other in surprise, Gin and the others did just that, landing on flat ground only moments later. Then they looked around. They were in a small cave, hidden from view by the rushing water, and the roar of the waterfall over the entrance dissuaded anyone who might have wanted to listen in from outside. Gin nodded in approval.

"This is perfect." he said, seeing John nod in agreement beside him.

Kouzou nodded as well.

"I come here sometimes to think." he said simply, then turned and nudged Ryou's still form with his paw.

After a few seconds, the Husky let out a moan, and then his eyes opened slowly. Almost immediately, his head shot up in alarm, but Gin and Kouzou held him down with their paws so he couldn't stand.

"Relax." Gin said. "You're safe."

"For the moment, anyway." Kouzou said, clearly not happy. "But that can change very quickly, Ryou…if you don't tell me what the fuck is going on in my territory."

The Husky looked down at the stone floor, his face almost ashamed.

"I-It's a long story." he said and John growled slightly.

"Shorten it." he said bluntly. "And tell us anyway."

Ryou looked up and studied them for a moment, then nodded slowly, looking tired and defeated. Kouzou stepped up to him.

"First of all," he said. "Who the hell is **that**, and why is he killing my dogs?"

He nodded outside when he said it, and Ryou met his gaze.

"His name is Heizo." he said quietly. "And he was…doing it for me. He killed them because of me."

Akame gave a start as soon as he said it.

"Heizo?" he said, sounding almost incredulous. "As in Heizo the assassin?"

Ryou nodded without looking at him and Gin looked over at his friend.

"Who is he, Akame?" he asked and the ninja dog looked at him.

"He's one of the most talented assassin dogs in all of Japan." he said with a frown. "My clan and I had to deal with him a few times during the war against Koga. But how do **you** know him, kid?"

Ryou clenched his eyes shut. Then after a moment, he looked up at Akame.

"I know him because he killed my parents." he said softly.

For a moment, there was silence in the cave, only the sound of the waterfall breaking it. Then Kouzou looked down at him in shock, his anger gone.

"He killed your parents?" he repeated. "Are you sure, Ryou?"

"I watched him do it." came the answer and Gin lay down in front of him so that they were on eye level.

"Then why is he here now?" he asked. "And why is he following you?"

Ryou sighed, a lone tear sliding unnoticed down his furred cheek. He looked at the Akita.

"I wish I knew." he said miserably. "Ever since that day…when they died…he hasn't left me alone. He's followed me from one end of this country to the other and nothing I say or do can get him to leave. I can't understand it. Even when he kills these other dogs, it's always only the ones who quarrel with **me**…or fight with me or hurt me. Even when it's only a misunderstanding, he'll kill them…before I can say anything."

He looked at Kouzou.

"That's why I'm always alone." he said. "Because I don't want people to get hurt."

Gin looked at him sympathetically, suddenly feeling very sorry for him, but John cocked his head to the side and looked almost angry.

"Have you tried fighting him off?" he asked, sounding slightly disapproving. "Standing up for yourself?"

Ryou looked at him hatefully.

"3 times." he answered with a small growl. "He always just dodges everything and refuses to hit me back. My dad never taught me how to fight…no one did. So you tell me: he's a professional assassin. What kind of chance do you think a dog like me has against him in a fight?"

John didn't answer, knowing that the younger dog had a point, and Gin jumped in, hoping to end an argument before it started.

"But why is he so interested in you?" he wondered aloud again and then suddenly Akame sat down beside him, regarding the Husky thoughtfully.

"I might have an idea." he said. "But it's just a theory."

All heads turned towards him.

"It's all we have right now Akame, so spit it out." Kurotora said from behind him and the ninja dog kept his eyes on Ryou.

"Heizo's a husky too." he said. "In fact, kid, you look a lot like him."

Ryou looked surprised, and Gin frowned as he looked at his friend.

"You think it's a bond between the breed?" he asked skeptically and Akame turned to him.

"No." he said. "I think Heizo sees himself in Ryou. That's why he hasn't killed him. From what Ryou has told us, it sounds like he's trying to protect him."

This seemed to further confuse the others, and Chutora stepped forward from the back of the group.

"But he's an assassin." he said. "That makes it sound like he has feelings for the kid."

"So?" Kouzou said, a little more harshly than he'd meant.

"So," the Kai dog continued irritatedly. "Assassins don't have feelings. They're cold bastards. That's the only way they can do their jobs, especially the good ones."

"They're still dogs." Akame said in response. "Even the ones that are real monsters like Heizo."

"So how do we catch this fucker?" John growled, sounding eager to fight.

For a minute, there was silence as everyone thought about it. Then a shy sounding voice broke the quiet.

"We use a lure."

The group looked down at Ryou in surprise and when he looked up, they saw a determination in his eyes that none of them had seen there before.

"I can get him to come out." he said and Kouzou looked at him in concern.

"Ryou, that's putting yourself directly in harm's way." he said. "Are you sure about this?"

The husky looked at him.

"I won't go the rest of my life with Heizo stalking me everywhere I go." he growled. "If this will make him leave, then I'll do it. And with all of you here, it might just work."

After a second, Kouzou nodded, understanding his feelings, and John grinned slightly.

"Well said, kid!" he said. "You may be a soldier yet."

Ryou smiled despite himself and Gin stood up.

"All right, everyone." he said in a commanding voice. "Here's what we'll do…"

* * *

The mood of the group was tense as they walked, every one of them glancing around themselves to look for movement without making it too obvious that they were waiting for something. They moved in a circle as they headed into the forest away from the river, leaving no side unprotected as Ryou walked right in the center of it, keeping his gaze on the ground as his ears twitched back and forth, listening carefully to every sound that entered them. None of them said a word, but then suddenly, Ryou stopped in his tracks, freezing up completely. Gin did the same and glanced at him without moving his head.

"Is it him?" he asked in a quiet voice and Ryou nodded without looking at him.

"Yeah." he said. "He's here."

Suddenly, a shape burst out of the trees above them and landed on its feet about 15 feet away, facing them as it did. John and Kouzou immediately pushed Ryou to the ground and stood over him as Gin stepped to the front of the group with Akame at his side. He glared angrily at the figure and watched as the figure glared right back. It was Heizo. As he looked at him, Gin saw that Akame had been right. The older Husky did indeed look almost identical to Ryou, and except for the numerous scars that adorned his powerful form, he could've been his older brother. Heizo took a step forward.

"That kid is mine." he said, his voice low and deadly sounding.

"_That kid_," Gin responded with equal power. "Is under the protection of the Ohu Army. He doesn't belong to you."

The assassin's eyes narrowed.

"This doesn't concern you." he hissed. "Give him back or I'll kill you all and they'll never find your corpses."

John and Kurotora growled.

"We're not like the other dogs you've faced, bastard." the Shepherd said in a voice that wasn't to be argued with. "Underestimate us, and it's the end of the road for you."

Heizo stretched his neck, looking angry as he glared right at Ryou.

"I protected you, you ungrateful little runt." he growled. "And this is how you repay me."

Ryou shot to his feet with a snarl, suddenly showing more power than he ever had before.

"All you ever cared about was lessening your own guilt!" he spat as Akame and Kurotora held him back. "You killed **everyone** I came across, friend or foe, just so you could live with yourself after killing my mom and dad! Don't you **dare** make this my fault!"

"So…" came the response. "That's how it's going to be, is it?"

No one responded and suddenly, before anyone could react, Heizo shot back up into the trees with fearsome speed and Gin and the others immediately leapt into action.

"Kouzou!" he shouted. "Get Ryou back to Smith and the others! We'll deal with him!"

"Got it!" the Shepherd shouted back, but Gin and his companions were already on Heizo's tail.

Akame and Gin matched the assassin's speed easily as they entered the trees as well, leaping from branch to branch and keeping him in their sights as John and the Kai brothers stayed on the ground, making sure that he didn't escape that way. None of them could get close enough to attack him though, and the chase continued as it was, neither side gaining any ground. Suddenly, though, they reached the river once more, and they realized that it had looped around from where they had been and now cut off their path. Seeing Heizo come to a halt abruptly, Gin watched as he leapt sideways and vanished into the trees in front of him. Nodding quickly at Akame, the two friends jumped to the ground and landed next to John, looking up as they realized that the assassin was trapped in the treetops, unable to move without being seen. They glared into the darkness carefully.

"You didn't plan any of this, did you?" Gin growled to the unseen killer. "You never meant to become that kid's protector. You were just there to kill his parents that day!"

No one answered and the Akita continued.

"But something went wrong, didn't it, Heizo?" he said. "The killing itself went perfectly until you discovered that one minor detail you'd overlooked…they had a son."

"And he saw you, didn't he?" Akame chimed in, continuing to look for movement amongst the trees. "He saw what you did and you couldn't kill him, because you were reminded of yourself when you were young."

There was no still answer.

"You know we're right, Heizo." Gin called. "Don't try to hide from it, from us."

After a moment, there was finally a response.

"He wasn't supposed to be there!" came Heizo's voice and all of their heads whipped in the direction it had come from. "The dogs who hired me told me that his parents were newly mated, that they had no children. I didn't know what to do!"

"So you decided to atone for what you'd done by becoming his guardian?" Gin said, noticing the slight change in tone in the assassin's voice.

"Except you did it **too** well didn't you?" John finally added. "You protected him so completely that you denied him the chance to have a life of his own. Think about it, Heizo! That kid is growing up. How's he ever going to become a real male if all you do is fight his battles for him?"

"That's none of your business."

"So what was your plan then?" Akame asked pointedly. "To follow him around his whole life, killing anyone he quarreled with, anyone who looked at him the wrong way? You had to know that sooner or later it would come to an end!"

"He's all I have left!" the assassin growled back. "And if you want him for yourself, you'll have to kill me!"

"Oh, we will." Gin said. "I don't want to Heizo, I really don't. I'm hoping you'll see reason and surrender. But your protection is terrorizing him. If you go near him again, we'll have no choice."

"The only one with no choice is me, Gin." Heizo said and Gin was momentarily startled by the use of his name.

Suddenly, though, Heizo emerged from the tree in front of them like a bullet, lunging directly at him, teeth bared and ready to fight. Gin, however, was not famous for his speed without reason. Darting sideways out of the way, he grabbed the assassin's hind leg in his teeth and threw him at Kurotora, who tried to get his jaws around his throat. Heizo twisted in midair and avoided it though, and soon, the Kai dog was on the ground on his back, a fresh slash across his chest. Chutora tried to jump to his brother's aid, but achieved the same result, and Heizo leapt back to get some distance on his opponents. Then John was there. The two dogs bit at each other's faces and necks fast and hard, and the sound of their snaps on empty air were broken only by their chorus of snarls. While they fought, Akame managed to grab the assassin by the back of the neck and slam him into the ground with bone crushing force, momentarily stunning him.

Heizo quickly leapt to his paws again, though, dodging a bite from Gin, and leveled the ninja dog with a hind leg kick to the jaw. When John and Kurotora came to his rescue, he traded blows with both of them, each of them grunting as blood flew through the air at the impact points. Then Gin saw his chance. As Heizo tried to take to the air again, he lunged from below and went straight for the assassin's throat. Seeing this, Heizo twisted and smacked him hard across the face with his paw, making the Akita suddenly taste fresh blood in his mouth, but he smacked it aside and powered right through it, finding his mark seconds later. Feeling the flesh of the Husky's throat between his jaws, Gin bit down hard and twisted himself, making his body spin fast and turning his fangs into even deadlier weapons then before. Blood spattered out and Heizo let out an involuntary whine of pain and surprise as the Akita's teeth found his jugular and severed it cleanly, ending the assassin's reign of terror…and his life. Seconds later, the two landed with simultaneous, painful 'THUD's, and Gin quickly tore himself free of his opponent, leaping back next to John and Akame to survey his work.

"Well done, leader!" Kurotora said, licking his lips. "He got what he deserved!"

"I warned him." Gin said, not looking quite as thrilled at his actions. "I told him not to attack."

"And he disobeyed." Akame said, looking at him reassuringly. "You did what needed to be done Gin. And this territory's a safer place for it."

"Besides," John said, agreeing with the ninja dog. "Now Ryou can have his life back, finally."

Gin nodded at that thought and smiled at his two friends gratefully.

"Let's go tell him then." he said, and they turned and walked away, leaving Heizo the assassin lying where he'd fallen.

* * *

"You're sure?" Kouzou asked, facing the warriors of Ohu as they stood across from him in the clearing by their base caves. "He's really dead?"

Gin nodded.

"I had no choice." he said. "He attacked us rather than surrender."

"I'm not blaming you." Kouzou said. "You've done us a great favor. More lives could've been lost if he wasn't stopped, including more of my pack mates. My pack and I are in your debt."

"Consider us even." Gin said with a smile, thinking of the Shepherd's dead brother Saito.

Then he nodded over his shoulder back at the forest.

"We left his body back there by the river." the Akita said, "You should probably give him a proper burial at some point."

"We will." Kouzou said. "Thank you."

Beside him, Ryou was looking like he didn't quite believe it.

"He's…gone?" he said with a small, incredulous laugh. "I…I…"

"Now you can become the male you were meant to be," John told him with a slightly teasing grin. "And actually talk to people for a change."

Ryou smiled back at him, looking like he didn't quite know how to express how grateful he was.

"I…" he said again, then gave up trying. "Thank you, so much!"

"What's to become of you now?" Gin asked, turning to the Husky. "Back to wandering?"

"Actually," Ryou said. "Kouzou's offered to let me join his pack. At least until I can take care of myself a little better."

"Hey," the Shepherd smiled, his tongue lolling out the side of his muzzle. "With a little work, Ryou, I think can lead your own pack one day."

They all laughed and Akame turned to Gin.

"We should go, leader." he said and Gin nodded, looking at the two of them one more time.

"Good luck to you both." he said to them. "If you ever need our help again, just let us know."

Kouzou nodded, happy with the way it had all gone, and then watched as the warriors of Ohu turned and walked away, each of them looking every bit like their reputations as they disappeared through the trees. Then the Shepherd turned to Ryou, who was looking after them with intense admiration, and smiled at him.

"Come on, Ryou." he said. "It's time you trained a little. Let's get started."


	2. Story 2: The Mastermind

**Author's Note: **Here's story # 2! This took a little longer than I thought it would, but I still think it came out pretty well. I wanted to try using more English names for the OCs of the week this time, and I hope that you guys like them, because one of them might be sticking around for a while. Hope you like it! Leave a review if you do...or if you don't for that matter. ;)

* * *

"Let's move it!" the heavily scarred Greyhound called as he ran into the canyon entrance. "We'll make quick work of these bastards!"

The dogs that followed him gave a shout of support and pretty soon the whole army of them had gone a good distance into the narrow ravine. Overhead, he saw one of the human's flying machines roar by and begin circling, but it didn't concern him. After all, there were bigger pursuits to worry about at the moment. As soon as they got a little ways in, the whole group of them came to a halt, their growls echoing off the canyon's rocky walls. On the other side of the gorge, facing them, was another large pack of dogs, over 100 strong, all of them looking equally as bloodthirsty and ready to fight as the Greyhound and his pack were. This was what they were here for. For a minute, they all snarled at each other, shouting curses across the distance as they did. Then the other pack's leader, a Pit Bull mix, stepped forward challengingly.

"This is my territory to claim!" he yelled. "Get out of here unless you want us to rip you apart here and now!"  
"You couldn't kill us if you tried!" the Greyhound spat. "This territory is **ours** for the taking! After we kill you, we'll make quick work of the weak pack that lives here already and then all this will be **mine**!"

"Bring it, bitch!" the Pit Bull snarled back. "I've defeated dogs that make you look like a 5 day old whelp! I'm grateful to the dog who told us about this place! You and your little band don't stand a chance in here!"

The Greyhound looked startled through his rage as he licked his lips.

"The dog who told you?" he said. "Feh. I'll bet he didn't tell you everything. Our informant was more forthcoming. Apparently, no one ever comes up here. They'll never find what's left of you when we're done!"

The Pit Bull dropped into a battle stance.

"Don't count on it, bastard!" he growled. "We'll kill you all! Attack!"

And with that, the whole group charged, howling battle cries as they ran at their enemies. The Greyhound's group did the same, and they all readied their fangs to be stained with blood. As he ran, he saw the Pit Bull coming closer and closer. 20 feet. 15 feet. 10 feet. Suddenly, when they were almost close enough to sink their teeth into one another, something fell from up above, landing with a loud 'THUD' right in between them. Skidding to a halt, the Greyhound looked at it in angry surprise, hearing everyone else around him on both sides stop to do the same. It was a large boulder, and as they looked at it, a low, malevolent laugh suddenly echoed through the canyon, seeming to grow louder with each passing second. The Greyhound looked around in irritation.

"What the fuck?" he said, not seeing anything unusual.

"Up here." came a voice, and everyone looked towards its source.

Standing up on the top of the canyon's walls was a large dog, his figure appearing as just a black shadow with the morning sun behind him. As he saw and then looked at him, the Greyhound squinted.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

"Sorry about the rock," the figure said, his voice dripping with smugness. "My foot slipped. I just wanted to see if you were all actually stupid enough to have listened to me and come here."

The Greyhound let out a grunt of surprise, but the Pit Bull leader suddenly stepped forward.

"You!" he said, sounding furious. "You're the one who told us about this place! You told them too? You traitor! When I'm done with them, you're a dead dog!"

The dog on the cliff let out a snorting laugh.

"I highly doubt that." he said. "But feel free to continue your battle if you want. We can wait a while. Can't we guys?"

Suddenly, as if appearing out of thin air, other figures began stepping up to the canyon wall's edge as well, groups of them appearing at once until the entire edge of both sides was lined with them. The Greyhound dropped back into a battle stance as his group and the opposing group turned their attentions to the mysterious newcomers.

"You think you can defeat us?" he growled up at them. "We still have twice your numbers you idiots! Get out of here now or you're next!"

"Didn't you wonder," the dog said in a low, triumphant-sounding voice, ignoring him. "**Why** no one ever comes near this canyon?"

The Greyhound didn't answer and the figure cocked his head.

"No?" he said, then smiled. "Well then, stick around. The answer might just fall out of the sky."

Then the dog and all his companions turned and disappeared from view, the sound of their snickering laughter vanishing with them as the glaring rays of the sun still masked their features, obscuring their real identities to the dogs below. As they watched after them uneasily, one of the Greyhound's subordinates turned to him.

"What now, boss?" he asked.

"I'll tell you what now!" the Pit Bull suddenly yelled and turning fast, grabbed him by the throat.

Then he jerked his head back with a wet ripping sound and a jet of blood shot out of the subordinate's neck, spattering onto the others nearby. As the dog fell down with a choking whine, snarls erupted from everyone else there, and soon the two groups had launched themselves at each other, resuming the battle in a symphony of snapping jaws and ripping flesh. In the midst of it all, the Greyhound and the Pit Bull pulled each other to the ground, slicing bloody slashes in each other as they did. Then the Greyhound knocked the Pit Bull flat onto his back, though, and got his jaws around his neck firmly, positioning himself perfectly for the kill. No sooner had he done this then a noise began to come to his ears, even over the sounds of the fighting. It was a low rumbling sound, and as the Greyhound looked up, the Pit Bull's neck still between his jaws, he froze. Diving quickly towards the ground, it's path making it head right for the canyon, was the human flying machine from earlier. Momentarily caught off guard, he could only watch as the mechanical monster pulled up at last second, making it go directly over the top of the ravine, and the Greyhound saw objects begin coming out of the bottom of it and falling directly into the canyon where they were. The moment they had, his danger senses went wild, but he didn't have a chance to do anything more, as suddenly there was a blinding light, and unbearable pain shot through his whole body. Then the world went black.

Up on the cliff side a short distance away, the dog who had led both groups there watched the events unfold gleefully with his pack, all of them lowering their heads a little to muffle the sound of the explosions coming from the canyon. There were 5 of them in all, and as soon as they happened, the flying machine flew away, banking and disappearing over the mountain back the way it came. Then, body parts began raining down on them, and the dogs began to laugh, their eyes transfixed by the flames now burning where over 200 fellow dogs had just been moments before. Suddenly, a severed head landed only feet away from where the leader of the group stood, and he swiveled his own head towards it. Immediately, he realized that it was the head of the Greyhound pack leader, it's eyes staring straight ahead in shock and it's expression one of intense pain. As more laughter sounded around him, the leader walked up and put his paw on it, turning it so the face was facing him. Once it was, the smug smile from before returned to his muzzle.

"Boy…" he smirked. "You sure showed me. But don't let it depress you, pal. I think you've learned an important lesson from all this."

He leaned in close to the head's single remaining ear and whispered tauntingly:

"We shouldn't try to take what doesn't belong to us."

Then the leader gave the Greyhound's severed head a wink and turning around, kicked it back into the canyon with his hind leg, all of them hearing a series of faint 'THUD's as it landed back where it had started. Once it had, the leader walked back to his subordinates, and the group of them ran quickly away from the canyon, unseen by anyone, leaving nothing but silence in their wake.

* * *

Akame scanned the landscape ahead as Gin, John and the others began to catch up behind him. They were approaching the Ibaraki prefecture, and after the debacle in Saitama, Akame was being a little more careful. They had never had much contact with the pack that lived here, but the clan's representative during the battle against Akakabuto, a Malamute named Don, had been a valuable ally of theirs. Unlike Saito of Saitama, who had died quickly in one hit, Don had been one of the chief fighters in the battle against Madara and his subordinate bears. He had been one of the ones distracting the monstrous bear while Akame and Gin had made it to a nearby tree with a spear-like branch and had gotten into position to end the battle, and Madara's life. Don had been killed a short time later though, during the battle against Akakabuto himself, while rushing to help protect Ben from the killer bear's claws, and had been torn nearly in half while doing so. With all that had been happening at the time, though, the group hadn't even noticed that he had died, and didn't find out until afterwards when they were taking a head count and their allies were going back to their own territories. They knew that Don's brother Riley had taken leadership of the pack, or so a group of dogs they had encountered along the way had told them, but other than that, they knew little about what to expect. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Akame leaped down off his perch, landing with a grunt in front of John. From beside the German Shepherd, Gin looked at him.

"Anything the matter, Akame?" he asked.

"Nothing, leader." the ninja-dog responded. "All quiet. We should be approaching their territory any minute now."

"We should be on our guard then." John said. "We don't want any more run-ins with crazed assassins."

Gin nodded in agreement, but Akame could see that it was half-hearted.

"Yeah," he said. "We should be ready for anything."

Akame nodded as well, then turned and fell in beside the Akita, seeing Smith back off a little to give him some room. Gin had been a little somber over the last few days, which was the amount of time it had taken them to travel from Saitama to Ibaraki, and Akame suspected he knew why. Heizo… Gin had acted professionally and had performed, at least in Akame's estimation, the only reasonable course of action in stopping the crazed assassin only days ago. The Kishu had been able to tell simply from the dog's behavior that he had been delusional, and given how long it had apparently been going on, challenging that delusion could've made him even more violent, which would've made things far worse. Despite this, Gin had clearly begun feeling a late blooming sense of guilt over having to kill the other dog, and Akame had only realized right there that the young leader had never had to kill another of his own kind before in his life. He had tried to talk to him about it the other night, but Gin had been very tired and Akame had decided to drop the subject until a better chance presented itself. Either way, he had decided, the Akita needed some support to help him get his mind back to where it needed to be, especially seeing as they had many more condolences to give.

Cresting a hill, they came to a stop. The Ibaraki pack's territory lay in front of them, and the scattered forests and rolling hills made for a surprisingly impressive landscape. It would've been almost a mini version of Ohu had it not been for it's location. The prefecture was directly in the middle of the route that traveling dog packs took to get from Northern to Southern Japan and vice versa, and given the nearby mountains and the presence of humans not too far away, they had to go directly through it to ensure the safest route. That meant that whoever lived here had to deal with all kinds of strange dogs throughout the year, some good and some very bad. So far though, it appeared that the Ibarakis had done a fair job of protecting their home, and Akame had never heard of any wars taking place down in this area. Suddenly, the ninja-dog's senses went wild and he stopped dead in his tracks, holding his leg out to stop Gin as well. The Akita looked confused as soon as he did it.

"What is it?" he asked, but Akame didn't even get the chance to answer.

At that moment, a group of dogs leapt up in front of them, having been lying concealed in the tall grass of the hill they were walking on. Dropping immediately into a fighting stance, Akame felt Kurotora and Great leap up beside him, John and Smith standing on Gin's other side as they got ready to protect him. Chutora and Wilson, meanwhile, covered the rear. For their part, the dogs in front of them only growled lightly, and seemed rather to be studying them then moving to attack. Then one of them stepped forward.

"State your name and your business here." he said and Akame was a little surprised to hear the youth in his voice.

Gin stepped forward.

"I'm Gin of Ohu." he said, bowing his head in greeting. "And these are my pack mates. We're looking for Riley of Ibaraki."

The lead dog looked surprised and Akame saw that he was a Malamute like both Don and Riley.

"Ohu?" he exclaimed, "Why are **you** here?"

"There's something we need to discuss with Riley?" Gin answered. "Do you know him?"

The dog nodded.

"Riley's my father." he said, looking back and forth between Gin and the rest of them. "My name is James. But what do you want with him?"

"That's…something I think we should tell him in person." Gin said and James cocked his head slightly, as if ensuring that he could trust him.

"All right," he said finally. "Follow me. I'll take you to him."

"Thank you." Gin said and the group of them fell in behind James as he and his subordinates turned and walked quickly in the direction the Ohu Army had been heading already.

* * *

Riley clenched his eyes shut, the bad news that had just been delivered beginning to sink in.

"God damn it, Don…" he said, his eyes tearing up a little as James's did the same beside him. "I was afraid of this."

"We're very sorry for your loss." Gin said for what seemed already like the trillionth time. "It's my fault. Your brother was trying to help me and one of my pack mates. We owe him a great debt."

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Riley answered and Akame saw Gin pause. "My brother was always kind of rash. He rushed into things all the time. Either way, I'm sure he was proud to fight alongside you all."

"Thank you." Gin answered, inclining his head appreciatively.

Then James stepped forward, looking even sadder than his father.

"Where is he buried?" he asked and John looked at him from Gin's side.

"Up in Futago Pass in Ohu with most of the other dead." he said and Gin nodded.

"You're free to come pay your respects to your Uncle whenever you want." he said and the younger Malamute nodded gratefully at him, stepping back beside Riley.

"What's going on?" came a new voice, and everyone turned to see where it had come from.

Another Malamute had stepped out of the trees to their right, Akame saw, and this one looked very similar to James, though slightly older and a tad darker in the fur. His light-brown eyes had black diamond-shaped markings around them, and seemed to somehow give him the look of being intelligent beyond his years. Riley lowered his head a little as he saw him.

"This is Gin of Ohu and his clan." he said, then turned to them and said. "This is Zach, my oldest son and heir."

Gin and the others nodded at the newcomer and Zach in turn nodded back, giving them a friendly smile.

"It's an honor." he said, then repeated. "But what's going on?"

"It's…It's your uncle, Zach." Riley said somberly. "He's dead."

To Akame's surprise, Zach barely reacted at all to this. For a few moments, he just stood there, as if taking it in. Then he sighed deeply, looking at the ground.

"How did it happen?" he asked calmly and Gin looked at him.

"The demon bear Akakabuto killed him." he said, and John quickly added:

"But we returned the favor. Your uncle got the justice he deserved."

Zach's smile returned at this, though it seemed strangely forced to Akame.

"I'm glad." he said. "Now he can rest in peace."

Then he turned to Riley.

"I'm going back out on patrol, Dad," he said. "Just in case 'Mastermind' and his little band decide to take advantage of this and do something. You know they'll find out about it sooner or later."

"That's a good idea." the older Malamute said, looking troubled by this thought. "Why don't you escort Gin and his pack to the Southern border to make sure they get there safely."

Then he gave Gin a slightly apologetic glance.

"Assuming you're leaving immediately that is." he said. "Don't feel as if you have to."

"That's all right." Gin responded. "We've got a long way to go anyway. If I might ask, though, what were you talking about? Who's 'Mastermind'?"

The question was directed at Zach, but it was James who answered.

"That's a good question." he said and Gin looked confused.

"He's a rogue pack leader that's taken up residence in our territory." Riley said before James could elaborate. "Other than that we don't know much about him. Either way, he's no one you need to concern yourself with, Gin."

"'Don't know much' in this case meaning 'practically nothing'." James quipped. "He's vicious though. That much we're sure of."

"Normally we just drive off any intruders that enter our territory without permission or try and cause trouble." Zach jumped in. "With him though, it's different. He and his clan moved into our territory but haven't made any moves against us. On the contrary, he's been helping us drive off other packs of rogues. Not that his methods impress me much."

"What do you mean?" Smith asked and the dog's gaze panned to him.

"He may not touch us," Zach said, looking disapproving. "But he's brutal to any invading dogs. He likes leading them into situations where they'll get themselves killed and if that doesn't work, he'll go and finish them off himself. That's why the local dogs nicknamed him 'The Mastermind'. He's pretty much been called that ever since. He's kind of a bastard."

"It's like he gets a kick out of it." James said. "And the best part is, he's so secretive that we have no idea who he is. That's why everyone calls him by his nickname, 'cause no one knows his real one. We've seen his pack a bunch of times, but him…never."

"You sound impressed with him." John observed, raising an eyebrow at the younger brother and James reddened a little, glancing nervously at his father.

"Well…" he said, "I wouldn't say 'impressed'. More 'interested in'."

"Do you need any help with him?" Kurotora asked Riley and the Malamute shook his head.

"Like my son said," he responded. "He doesn't bother us. He also doesn't hurt any local dogs who have nothing to do with our quarrels. Thanks for your offer, but he's no threat to us right now."

"Very well," Gin said, nodding at him. "We should be going. Sorry once again for the loss of your brother."

"Thank you, Gin." Riley said. "We appreciate you telling us in person."

Then he nodded at Zach and the younger Malamute walked up to Gin and the others, pausing and gesturing with his head.

"Follow me." he said and they fell in behind him, allowing him to lead them South once more, towards the opposite border of the territory.

For a while, they walked quietly, the silence being broken by the occasional chatter between Smith and the Kai brothers in the back of the group. Gin had attempted to engage Zach in brief conversations about the area, and the Malamute had obliged with a slightly flattered look, asking them about Ohu in return, a question that John had responded to in a proud sounding voice. Akame had not joined in these exchanges. He stared at Zach's back. Despite his normalness, something felt off about him, and Akame's finely tuned ninja-dog senses had been acting up ever since the elder Malamute brother had made his presence known. He wasn't sure why. After all, Zach seemed like a nice enough kid. Maybe it was the nonchalant way he had reacted to the news of his uncle's death that gave Akame pause. Or maybe it was just the stress of their mission finally getting to him a little. Either way, he felt as if he needed to think about it some more before joining in in any major discussions with the Malamute. Suddenly, their guide came to a stop. He pointed with his muzzle.

"If you head that way, you should be able to leave our territory without any trouble." he said. "I think you're fine either way, but it's best to be careful."

"Agreed." Gin said and Smith said: "Thanks." from behind him.

Zach nodded, then gestured over his head to a set of higher hills and mountains to their left.

"Just as a word of warning, though." he said. "Stay away from the canyons over there in those hills. The humans test their weapons in them sometimes, and not just their guns. It's a dangerous place, especially if you don't know your way around."

"Very well," Gin said. "Thanks for your concern."

Zach nodded at them and then, after bidding them farewell and good luck, turned and left. Immediately, Kurotora turned to Gin.

"What's the next territory, leader?" he asked.

"Hmm. We should probably – " Gin started, but then Akame interrupted.

"If I may, Gin," he said. "I'd like to check out something here first."

Gin looked surprised.

"Of course, Akame." he said, "But what?"

After pausing for a minute, Akame nodded over at the hills with the canyons. John turned to him seconds later.

"Zach just told us they were unsafe." he frowned. "What's so interesting about them?"

"I just want to see something."

"Do you not trust him?" Gin asked, looking a little concerned and Akame looked away.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "I just have this feeling that something is wrong in this territory. I wanted to see if I was right."

Gin nodded almost immediately.

"I trust your judgment, Akame." he said graciously. "Let's go."

"Let's be quick though." Chutora said nervously. "I'd rather **not** get shot."

"What's the matter, Tora?" Smith teased. "Do the big, bad humans scare you?"

The Kai dog turned and snapped at him with his jaws and the Setter jumped aside with a laugh, Kurotora joining in as Great grinned next to him. Normally, Akame would've smiled good-naturedly at this too, but at the moment, he was in full ninja-dog mode and led the group quickly to the canyons at Gin and John's sides. Once they got there, everyone had quieted down significantly. The ravine's high walls loomed over them menacingly, and everyone immediately began to feel uneasy just being there. Sniffing at the ground, John looked up with a small growl at his companions.

"You were right, Akame," he said. "Something's not right here. I smell blood all over the place."

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this place. I think something seriously bad happened here." Smith added, looking around as they entered the canyon's entrance.

"And I know what it was." Wilson's voice said and the group nearly ran into him, stopped in the middle of the trail.

When they followed his gaze, the whole group of them went dead silent. In front of them was a bloodbath. The stone walls of the canyon were so covered with blood that they were practically painted red from top to bottom, and canine body parts of all shapes and sizes littered the ground for as far as they could see into the canyon. For a minute, no one said a word, then Kurotora's voice broke the quiet.

"Holy hell…" he said, clearly horrified. "What the fuck happened here?"

"It looks like the humans happened here." Great said intensely. "I can see scorch marks from their weapons on the rocks."

"Zach said they test them up here." Smith pointed out, but Akame shook his head, glancing at his friend.

"This many dogs wouldn't come anywhere near this place if that happened regularly." he said reasonably. "They had to have been lured here…deliberately."

"I find it hard to believe that Riley and his pack didn't know about this, Gin." John said as he turned to the Akita. "These bodies look at least a few days old."

"I agree." Wilson said. "Maybe we should go back."

Gin nodded, looking simultaneously shocked and determined.

"We **are** going back." he said. "This shouldn't happen **anywhere**. I want some answers."

And with that, the Ohu group turned around and headed back for the Ibaraki pack's home base, Akame and Gin leading the way.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Riley frowned, looking at them in shock as the daylight behind him began to dim. "What bodies?"

"In the canyons on the border of your territory" Kurotora replied intensely. "There were more corpses than we could count!"

"This happened on **your** land!" John said in an accusing voice. "How could you not have known about it?"

"I don't know **everything** that happens in my territory!" Riley said defensively as Gin gave John a warning glare about his temper. "I haven't been leader for long enough to get the process down yet. And besides, we told you about 'Mastermind'. This sounds exactly like the sort of thing he'd do."

"Where are your sons?" Akame asked, meeting his gaze. "Maybe they know something."

"Their both out on patrol." the Malamute answered in an irritated voice. "And don't go harassing them about this!"

"We mean no disrespect, Riley." Gin said in a quieter voice, calming everyone down. "It's just…it was pretty horrifying. I'd like to get to the bottom of it."

Riley lowered his head a little, quieting down as well.

"Of course." he said. "If Mastermind has gotten **that** out of control, then your help might be invaluable in putting a stop to him. You can stay."

"Thank you." Gin said and glared at Kurotora and John, both of whom looked ready to open their mouths accusingly again.

It was then that Akame heard a new sound, and his ears perked up immediately as he turned his head towards it. Gin noticed instantly.

"What is it, Akame?" he asked and the ninja-dog shushed him.

Listening more closely, he heard faint whimpers and growls coming from the west, the telltale signs of a battle in progress.

"A fight." he said. "This way!"

They immediately followed him in the direction of the noises and Gin turned to Riley, who had gone with them as well.

"Are either of your sons in this direction?" he asked and Riley shook his head, looking anxious at the thought.

"Who knows?" he said. "It could be either one of them, or neither. When they're out on patrol with their platoons, they disappear for hours, sometimes days. So your guess is as good as mine."

Gin nodded, deciding not to press the matter as Akame increased his speed and the sounds got louder. Suddenly, as they came to a clearing in the trees, they nearly ran into a group of dogs directly in their path. Skidding to a halt, they looked at each of them in turn before Riley stepped forward.

"Ikiru," he said, addressing one of the dogs. "What's going on? Where's James?"

"Mastermind's cornered an invading pack by the cliff over there sir," the floppy-eared mutt responded. "James-san went to flank around the back to surprise him."

"Then why are you here?"

"We're on standby in case reinforcements are needed, Riley-sama"

At that moment, James suddenly burst through the trees in front of them, panting heavily, and ran right up to Ikiru.

"Let's go!" he said. "They're – "

Then he paused, noticing the newcomers.

"Dad?" he said. "Gin-san, what are you doing here?"

"What's going on?" Gin asked, ignoring the question and stepping up to the younger dog's side.

James looked slightly suspicious, but answered him anyway.

"Mastermind saw us coming and made a run for it." he said. "Zach and his group are already in pursuit."

"Then let's go!" John barked. "Lead the way, kid!"

James nodded excitedly and turned, bounding off immediately. The others followed him closely, Gin, Akame, John, and Riley right on his tail. Mere seconds later, it seemed, they entered a large open area…and saw the carnage that had been wrought already. Dogs lay scattered by the edge of a steep drop-off, every one of them covered in blood, entrails, or both, and some with sharpened tree spikes speared right through them.

Gin sniffed at the ground as the rest of his companions looked around. Then he turned to Akame.

"You think these dogs were lured too?" he asked and Akame nodded.

"It looks like they were cornered against the cliff once they were," the ninja-dog said, examining the body of a dog with a tree spike speared straight through his eye. "Then these things were thrown at them. If that didn't work, they were driven off of it."

"This 'Mastermind' has a twisted way of fighting." Kurotora remarked. "It's like he's afraid to face his opponents one on one."

"Fear has nothing to do with it." Akame said. "His tactics are very much like a ninja-dog's. I'm actually impressed."

"Think you can outwit him?" John asked, his voice almost teasing despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Yes." Akame answered bluntly. "I can. I just need time."

"Actually, you might not." Chutora piped up suddenly. "Look!"

The whole group of them turned and, following his gaze, and saw a shadowed figure standing on a rocky outcropping about 50 feet away. The minute he saw the figure, James hissed:

"It's him! It's Mastermind!"

As if on cue, the figure lunged sideways and leapt off the outcropping, already running the second his paws hit the ground.

"After him!" Kurotora yelled and the group shot off in pursuit, Akame and Gin leading the way.

Their target was fast though, and they only gained a little ground, still seeing nothing but his dark silhouette in the dimming light.

"Stop there!" Gin yelled, but Mastermind didn't heed the warning.

Instead, he bolted down a hillside, weaving in and out of rocks and trees before finally vanishing through a gap in between two large protruding roots of a fallen tree. Behind him, Akame and Gin did the same, but found that when they emerged on the other side, their quarry was gone, not even a trace of his scent left anywhere to reveal where he had vanished to. Seconds later, the rest of their group caught up to them and began looking around as they had done.

"Where is he?" Chutora asked Gin and the Akita gave a frustrated look back at the path in front of them.

"We lost him." he said.

Suddenly, another dog ran up behind them and they all turned fast, dropping into battle stances as they did. When they saw who it was, though, they calmed down. Standing there, panting hard like he had just run very fast, was Zach.

"Brother!" James said. "Where were you? I thought you had him!"

Zach shook his head.

"He left me a false trail and lost me a ways back." he said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry." Riley said reassuringly to his son. "We didn't do any better."

"So are we going to go find him or just stand here?" Smith asked crossly and Zach shook his head, not even bothering to ask why they had come back.

"No point." he said. "The trees in there get pretty hard to navigate at night. We'd have a hard time finding our way back out, let alone him."

"Very well," Gin said, looking even more frustrated upon hearing this. "Let's head back to your base for the night and get some sleep. We'll track him down tomorrow."

At that, the group turned and followed Riley, who stepped to the front and began leading them back the way they came. As they walked, Akame fell in beside Zach at the rear of the group, the Malamute glancing briefly up at him as he did before turning back to the trail in front of them. The ninja-dog glanced back at him.

"How close did you get to him?" he asked. "Mastermind."

Zach snorted.

"Not close enough." he said. "I always figured he was pretty good, but I didn't expect him to be **that** good."

"Neither did I." Akame said, still keeping the same calm tone to his voice. "Did you get close enough to see what kind of dog he was."

"Unfortunately not."

"Hmm." the Kishu said. "Never mind, then. I just wanted your opinion. I thought it might be valuable, because to me…his shape looked like a Malamute."

Zach stopped walking instantly and gave him a hard look as Akame did the same, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. For a moment, the two males just stared at each other, neither one backing down or breaking their mutual glare.

"What are you saying?" Zach asked challengingly and Akame turned to face him completely.

"I'm not saying anything right now." he said in a deliberately calm voice. "I'm just expressing **my** opinion. Forgive me, I meant no disrespect."

Zach said nothing for a moment, then, after looking Akame nose to tail, turned and walked away, striding up next to his brother seconds later. Akame resumed walking as well, and once he had, John and Gin dropped back next to him.

"Is everything all right, Akame?" Gin asked in a low, concerned voice and John chimed in:

"Yeah, what was **that** about?"

Akame glanced at both his friends.

"Nothing." he said stiffly. "Just a little test."

* * *

It didn't take long for the group of them to get back to Riley's main pack area and once they had, it was completely dark out. The Malamute leader had sent a few small groups of his subordinates out to patrol the outer borders of their territory, keeping watch for invaders as the higher-ranking dogs in the pack and the Ohu warriors rested up and discussed what to do about 'Mastermind'. Most of them were just resting though, and on Riley's order, James and Zach had caught some rodents and other small animals for their guests to eat, distributing them as they arrived back. Akame couldn't quite tell if the elder Malamute brother had forgotten yet about their unfriendly exchange only a short time ago, because while his mood seemed greatly improved, he seemed to be deliberately avoiding the ninja-dog's gaze. James, meanwhile, had taken to fooling around with Kurotora and Smith, play fighting with both of them and convincing Zach to reluctantly join in. Gin, John, and Riley smiled at this, and Akame couldn't help but crack a smile himself, though he kept on guard. The whole situation still made him feel uncomfortable, especially with his friends in the direct line of fire if something happened. As they relaxed, he saw Gin look over at Riley, getting his attention as he did. Then the Akita nodded over at the Ibaraki leader's two sons.

"Not to sound intrusive, Riley," he said in a quiet voice, "But Zach and James, did you raise them yourself?"

The Malamute nodded.

"My brother and I both did." he said. "My mate died a long time ago, so we both kind of helped raise them when we could. It got harder once Don left and I became leader, but…we managed."

Gin nodded, looking back at the play-fighting group.

"I see." he said. "That's admirable."

Riley nodded in thanks, and Gin went to say something else, but didn't get the chance, because at that moment, Zach walked over and lay down by the two of them. Once he had, he looked at the Ohu leader curiously.

"Can I ask you a question, Gin?" he asked and Gin nodded at him.

"We've heard that your father Riki used some kind of special fighting move that only he could do." he said. "What was it?"

"The Zetsu Tenrou Battouga." Gin said, looking nostalgic at the mention of his legendary father's name. "He learned it from a wolf. It's the move that I used to kill Akakabuto."

"Then you know how to do it as well?" Zach said, his eyes widening a little as an excited look spread over his face. "Amazing… Think you could teach me?"

Gin laughed.

"Sorry." he said, shaking his head. "It's not something that just anyone can learn. None of my friends are able to do it either."

Zach shrugged good-naturedly and looked at James.

"Well, I tried." he said and John snorted slightly, looking bored.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to convince the leader of things, kid." he said and Zach raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he replied teasingly. "Well, how about **you** teach us some moves then, tough guy? You know, if you have any."

John gave him a livid glare and leapt to his feet instantly with a small growl.

"Don't you look down on me, brat!" he snapped, though it didn't have too much real anger behind it. "I could wipe the ground with you in a fight!"

"Think so, huh?" Zach grinned, baiting the Shepherd perfectly. "Prove it then."

"Fine, prepare yourself!" John barked and jumped backwards into a battle stance, watching as the younger Malamute did the same, both dogs beginning to circle each other almost immediately.

Gin smiled and shook his head and was about to tell them both to knock it off and calm down a little when something burst out of the trees with a snarl. It was an invading dog of some kind and as it lunged, it flew right at Riley, who was totally unprepared.

"Die, bastard!" the dog screamed, but didn't get anything else out, as Gin moved like a bullet and grabbed him by the neck before he could reach his target.

Then he threw him hard into a nearby tree, the strength of the throw making the wood splinter slightly. Suddenly, though, other dogs came out from the same spot behind him, howling battle cries, and everyone leapt to their paws, John and Zach abandoning their fight to leap into the fray. Kurotora and Chutora slashed right and left at the attackers, landing every hit and sending blood flying through the air, while Akame did the same nearby, moving back and forth between different targets and not even getting hit once as he did, his speed and agility unmatched by the hapless invaders. Eventually, as Riley joined the fight alongside Gin, showing off his own impressive fighting skills, the attackers realized that they were hopelessly outmatched and decided to turn and run, yelping as they retreated into the darkness of the trees. Zach immediately leapt after them, turning to his brother as he did.

"James!" he barked commandingly, "You're with me! Dad, stay with Gin and the others!"

Then, as Riley yelled after him, both Malamute brothers leapt after the fleeing dogs. Akame, John, & Gin quickly leapt after them as well, the latter giving Smith and the Kais a nod to tell them to guard Riley as they left. Once they were in the forest, Akame immediately took to the treetops to avoid being seen, and Gin and John stayed on ground level, running off after James quickly. Akame, though, immediately took off in the direction that Zach had gone, hearing the noises the elder Malamute brother was making as he crashed through the underbrush. After a minute, the ninja-dog got Zach in his sights and slowed his pace, making himself as invisible as possible as he watched his target. Suddenly, as Zach caught up with one of the fleeing dogs, another shape flew in from the side and crashed into him hard, sending the elder Malamute brother rolling sideways with a grunt of pain upon impact. Akame saw this and quickly leapt to the other dog's aid, landing in between him and the snarling attacker and dissuading a second assault as he squared off to him. Once he had, he froze. The attacker was far enough away that he still couldn't make out any features, but when he saw him, Akame immediately recognized the shape, having seen it before. It was 'Mastermind'! The rogue leader immediately grabbed the dog Zach had been chasing and leapt away into the dark once more, ignoring Akame's shout of "Stop!" as he did. The ninja-dog tried to follow, but eventually lost him again and growled in frustration as he heard Zach pad up next to him, wincing a little from the earlier hit.

"Still think I'm him?" he said sarcastically and for the first time in a long time, Akame found that he had nothing at all to say.

* * *

"So it's **not** him?" Gin said as they walked. "Are you sure?"

"He was with me when we saw him," Akame said, "It can't be."

"And James was with us when we saw him the first time," John chimed in. "So it can't be him either. Terrific."

Akame nodded, clenching his fangs tightly in frustration as the three of them moved back towards Smith and the others. He had met back up with John and Gin only minutes ago, and the three had decided to head back to the others to regroup and rethink their strategy. Zach had gone to find James, and after he had left, Akame had explained the encounter to his two best friends.

"I don't understand." he said in his calm voice. "I was sure it was him."

"We're all wrong sometimes, Akame." John said reassuringly as the ninja-dog looked at him. "Even you."

"Mmm." Akame said in agreement. "But my instincts have never been this off before. None of this makes sense, and that makes me uncomfortable."

"Try not thinking about it for a while." Gin suggested, glancing supportively at his white-furred friend. "Who knows, maybe the answer'll just hit you out of the blue."

Akame nodded again and looked ahead, resuming his walk back towards the Ibaraki clan's home base silently. Suddenly, as if it were fate, a thought occurred to Akame that he hadn't considered before and he stopped dead in his tracks. Confused, Gin and John stopped as well, looking back at him.

"Akame," Gin asked in concern. "What is it?"

For a moment, the Kishu didn't answer, but then he looked at them with a determined glare and a small growl.

"I know what's going on." he said, and they gave him startled looks.

"You do?" John said, his eyebrow raised skeptically. "What then?"

"Not yet," the ninja-dog answered. "Not until I'm positive. Leader, John, go to the cliff where we first saw Mastermind and wait there. Make sure you're not seen. I have an idea."

The two of them nodded and ran off immediately, leaving Akame alone. As soon as he was, he turned and ran towards the cliff as well, eventually breaking off from his friends' path and heading back to the tree root that Mastermind had disappeared through the first time they'd chased him only hours ago. Moving as silently as possible, Akame slipped through it and continued further on, moving around a large tree trunk and larger boulder that lay in his path. Almost the second he had, he came face to face with the entrance to a cave, hidden in the rock face behind the trees and underbrush of the forest. As he listened, Akame heard voices emanating from within it, and he silently slipped inside as well. Immediately, he noticed that the light was just as dim in there as in the forest, and he moved even more carefully, scanning the dark for any sign of movement or watching eyes. Finally, he got to a corner and stopped, hearing the voices clear as day and realizing that they must be directly on the other side. Then one voice called for the others to shut up and Akame listened, hearing a faint growl as did.

"Do you know how you even got into this territory?" the voice asked someone and Akame realized that it was his target…'Mastermind'.

"Fuck you, motherfucker!" came a second pained voice, and the ninja-dog realized that they had a captive.

'Shit.' he thought, but Mastermind spoke again and he was ripped out of his thoughts.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." came his taunting, yet angry voice. "Well, I'll tell you anyway. You got in here because I ordered the guards to **let** you in. We knew you were there. If I didn't leave you alone though, how would I have been able to discover your **real** intentions? And now, unfortunately for you, I know what they are…and you're in a deep load of shit, pal."

Other voices jeered him on and Akame realized that the rogue pack leader had quite a few subordinates at his beck and call. Then the captive dog spoke again.

"You'll never get me to talk!" he snarled. "You and your whole fucking clan can go to hell!"

"I'm going to tell you a story," Mastermind said, ignoring him as Akame listened intently from where he stood concealed. "About 2 years ago or so, a group of rogue dogs, like you, came into my pack's territory without permission. Their purpose, as I understand it, was to take our land for themselves, and depose us by force if they had to. So, they attacked my home and took us all captive. I was just a kid at the time, maybe…5-6 months old. They had wanted to beat my uncle into submission and make him surrender the land to them, but since they messed up their timing and he wasn't there, they had to settle for the second best option: My mother."

Akame felt a sense of dread fill him as he listened to the rogue leader's story, but his attention was on his voice instead.

'I knew it!' the ninja-dog thought to himself as he heard it. 'He's tried to mask it, but that's definitely his voice!'

Mastermind meanwhile, kept talking.

"They tortured her." he said, "They…did things to her…and all the while, I was sitting there watching, being held immobile by a dog twice my size and strength. Every time they tried to get her to call for my uncle to come, she refused. They told her that if she did they _might_ let me live to be their slave, but she still refused. Eventually, they realized that she wasn't going to cooperate and they killed her…right in front of me. Before they could touch me, though, my uncle and father came back with a couple neighboring packs and counterattacked them. They killed most of them of course, but the leader slipped away. No one could find him. Fast-forward a couple of years, though, and **I** found out where he had run to. So one day, when I finally couldn't take it anymore, I tracked him down and confronted him. I…told him who I was, what he had done to my mom, and what it had done to my father and me. Then I knocked him onto his back and drove my claws into his eyes as hard as I possibly could, and he let out this…shriek, this…high-pitched scream of pain that sounded like it should've come from a crying female pup, and all I could think of as he died was…**justice**. It took him almost 30 whole seconds to bleed to death."

Akame was horrified, and had to stifle a gasp so that he wouldn't be detected. Luckily, none of the dogs heard anything, and he remained unobserved.

"I'm telling you this," Mastermind said to the dog on the ground, "Because that is **nothing **compared to what I'm going to do to you for trying to kill Riley of Ibaraki. Dogs like you who hurt others for their own gain or pleasure disgust me, so you better pray that your god has mercy…'cause I don't."  
Then Akame heard a loud scream of agony and a loud cheer went up from dogs inside. Knowing that he needed to do something, the ninja-dog darted out from his hiding place and lunged at the rogue leader, his speed taking him past all the subordinates before they even realized what had happened. Clenching his teeth tightly in preparation, Akame crashed into Mastermind hard with his shoulder, sending him flying into the cave's rear wall with an audible grunt of surprise. As he landed, the ninja-dog slashed him across the shoulder with his fangs, drawing blood upon impact.

'That way I'll be able to prove it later.' he thought.

Knowing that he had no time to linger, though, he quickly grabbed the captive dog, whose ear had been torn clean off, by the neck and threw him over his shoulder. Then Akame ran full speed back out the entrance, hearing the subordinates' cries behind him of:

"Stop him! Grab him!"

As he reentered the forest and jumped back through the tree root, Akame heard the dogs exit the cave and begin pursuing him, so he vaulted up into the trees and began leaping from branch to branch, a technique he had all but perfected over the years of ninja training. This quickly led him back to the cliff side, where Gin and John were waiting. They jumped to meet him instantly as he arrived.

"Akame!" Gin said, then gasped as he saw the dog his friend was carrying. "What happened?"

"Get ready!" the ninja-dog responded, and at that moment, the rogue pack emerged from the trees as well, looking angry and ready to fight.

At the front was the dog known as 'Mastermind' and as he saw all three of them, he skidded to a grinding halt, finally seeing the trap he had walked right into.

"Shit!" they heard him exclaim and then he ran, heading right back towards where Riley and the rest of their friends were waiting.

Akame, Gin, and John were already in pursuit, though, and they knocked his subordinates out of the way and closed the gap quickly, taking only seconds to catch up to their target. Right as Mastermind burst into the main base area of the Ibaraki clan, Akame lunged out of the tree he had leapt up into, his teeth bared, and tackled the surprised killer at the same time Gin did, sending the three of them crashing to the ground with a painful 'THUD'. At first, Mastermind put up a bit of a fight, trying to throw them off, but didn't stand a chance alone against the other two males, and once John and Kurotora leapt into the fray, the rogue leader was pinned almost instantly. Once he was, they saw a familiar face beneath them.

"What's going on?" Riley yelled in alarm, running up to the combatants. "What in the world is – "

Then he saw who they had pinned.

"J-James?" he said in astonishment, then looked at Gin and repeated. "What's going on?"

"I'd like to know that too." Kurotora said as he pinned James's hind legs.

"Say hello to 'The Mastermind'." growled Akame. "At least…the **first** one."

James growled beneath them.

"Get **off** me!" he hissed.

"I don't understand." John said, looking at Akame in confusion as Riley looked shocked. "He was with us when we saw 'Mastermind' the first time!"

"But Zach wasn't." Akame answered, his expression almost triumphant as he looked back at the Shepherd.

"But you said he was with you when you saw him the second time!"

"He was." the Kishu said. "But James wasn't. And that was their game."

A look of dawning realization spread over the Ohu soldiers' faces, and Gin stared down at the captive young Malamute.

"They were working together!" he said, looking almost impressed in spite of himself.

"Exactly." Akame said as Riley's face went slack in horror. "But James here was just the decoy. Zach's the **real** 'Mastermind'. He's the one killing the invading dogs."

"Are you sure?" Gin asked and Akame nodded.

"I slashed the shoulder of the real one." he said. "James doesn't have any in his."

"James…" Riley said, slumping to his stomach. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do **anything** Dad," the young Malamute pleaded. "I swear!"

"You just protected your brother." Akame said sternly down at him. "And that I understand. But what he's doing is wrong and you know it! Now **where** is he?"

"I don't know!" James insisted, suddenly looking afraid of the Ohu soldiers. "Zach just told me to give him a head start and ran off! He said killing them was the only way to protect our family! He said it was us or them!"

"James!" Riley barked. "That's not the way it works! That makes you as bad as them!"

"Why?" James growled in genuine confusion. "Our pack's been protected, hasn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Gin glared right at Riley and stepped off of the subdued James.

"Where would he go, Riley?" he asked intensely and the Ibaraki leader looked away uncomfortably, clearly caught off guard by the question.

"I…don't know." he mumbled.

John and Akame stepped up to Gin's side at that, the former growling as Chutora and Smith took their places.

"Yes you do!" the German Shepherd snapped. "You're just trying to protect him like James was. You already failed him once, Riley, don't do it again by letting this continue!"

"I loved him!" Riley snapped back, looking offended. "I taught him how to take care of himself since he was a pup!"

"But you weren't a father to him." Akame scolded, and Riley's ears drooped. "Just showing love to your children isn't enough. You need to show them right from wrong, and be there for them when they're having trouble. Because you were too busy becoming the leader, you didn't keep track of your sons. Now one of them has a warped sense of the world and the other is completely out of control. You need to tell us where Zach is, now."

"Please…" Riley pleaded, his crushed gaze showing them that he knew the ninja-dog was right. "He's my son."

"And I promise you we'll bring him in alive." Gin said, taking command of the conversation once more. "I promise you. But you have to tell us where he is, Riley. **Now**_._"

Riley let out a ragged, defeated sigh. Then, after a minute's silence, he spoke.

"…There's a mountain pass near the Northern border of our territory." he said softly. "He goes there sometimes to be alone and think."

Gin immediately turned to his comrades holding James.

"Smith," he said. "You and the others keep James here and make sure he doesn't escape. Akame, John and I will go get Zach."

"Of course, Gin." the Setter said, "But be careful!"

Gin nodded gratefully, and then did the same to John and Akame. They needed no further encouragement. Seconds later, the three of them had run off, disappearing almost instantly from sight.

* * *

It took the three leaders of Ohu almost half an hour to reach the pass that Riley had spoken of, but while they were running, Akame explaining in the meantime to his comrades what he had heard in the cave, they had realized that Zach was not too far ahead of them, and had decided not to rest. Now, as they entered the pass, John turned to Gin and bowed his head a little.

"Gin," he said, "If Zach doesn't listen, we may have to kill him. I'll be the one to do it if you want."

"No John." the Akita said immediately, looking determined. "He needs a role model, not an executioner. I intend to keep my promise to Riley. No one else dies because of this."

John looked surprised, but didn't say anything else and Akame knew that their leader was thinking once more back to Heizo, and what he had done before. They had no more time to dwell on it though, because suddenly they spotted someone ahead of them, walking quickly through the pass in the same direction they were going. It was Zach. Seeing this, and not waiting for the Malamute to notice them, Akame put on a burst of speed and ran up the side of a hill to his right, getting as close as possible to his target without being detected. Then he kicked off from the ground and lunged hard at the elder Malamute's back the same way he had done to James. Just as before, it hit perfectly, and the two canines' bodies collided hard as Akame grabbed the surprised dog by the scruff of the neck with his jaws and threw him to the ground with all his strength. Smacking the dirt hard and grunting at the impact, Zach rolled 3 times from the momentum and then leaped to his paws, coming to rest facing the ninja-dog. As their eyes met, both dogs growled, but then Zach stopped, looking as if he had just noticed who they were.

"Akame?" he said in a surprised voice. "Why are you here?"

Akame maintained his growl as he heard John and Gin step up behind him.

"Drop the act." he hissed at the Malamute. "You know **exactly** why we're here."

Zach frowned, a fresh slash mark clearly visible on his right shoulder.

"Actually, I don't." he responded flatly. "But feel free to fill me in anytime you want. An explanation for that body slam would be nice, too."

"We caught James." Akame said, keeping his gaze locked with the younger dog's. "Our friends are holding him back at your father's main base."

Zach tensed up immediately and Akame knew that he was getting somewhere.

"Yeah, you expected him to get away, didn't you?" John said triumphantly from behind him. "But he didn't, and now we know the truth."

Zach looked livid.

"You **attacked** my brother?" he growled. "How **dare** you!"

"He's not hurt," Gin said. "But he could have been, just for trying to protect you and your secret, for pretending to be you while you and your group of vigilantes killed all those dogs!"

Zach's eyes widened and he looked shocked.

"H-**He's** Mastermind?" he stammered. "That's impossible! You have to have – "

Suddenly, Akame stamped his paw down hard, making everyone stop to look at him. As they did, Gin and John were shocked to see the anger on their normally stoic friend's face.

"Don't. play. me!" he said in a deadly voice, telling the Malamute clearly that he was no longer messing around. "I'm Akame of Iga. My pack and I were fooling our enemies with this type of deception before you were even **born**! Too many dogs have died here just to slake your bloodlust and I am **sick** of your games. So drop the act, **NOW**!"

For a moment, Zach just stared at the ninja-dog. Then they saw a knowing smile slowly spread across his muzzle, and Gin felt a chill go through him as he finally saw the proof that Akame had been right all along. The elder Malamute brother snorted.

"Well, I have to admit, I'm impressed." he said. "You really are as good as your reputations. How'd you figure it out?"

"I know when I'm being lied to." Akame said simply. "And I trust my instincts. That's how a ninja-dog survives."

"Well," Zach said, glaring at him and stretching his neck. "You'll forgive me if I don't congratulate you on becoming an incredible thorn in my side."

"This stops here." Akame responded sternly.

"They had it coming." Zach said as if reading their thoughts. "They invaded our territory, threatened my home and pack, and were there for no reason other than to fight and hurt others. They reaped what they sowed."

"This wasn't just about protecting your clan and you know it!" Gin said angrily, stepping up beside Akame. "You did it to get back at them for your mother's death! That's why you acted so cruelly, enjoyed hurting them so much!"

"They came into my home and killed someone I loved!" Zach shouted with an equally angry growl. "Just because they could! They killed her in front of me just because they wanted to provoke my Uncle and get our territory! Why shouldn't I return the favor? It shows them that if you prey on the innocent while underestimating them, you'll die the way you lived!"

"Listen to yourself!" Gin said incredulously, shaking his head. "You sound just as bad as them!"

"I protected my home!"

"You took it too far." John finally added, glaring at him as well. "And now you're going to stop…willingly or unwillingly."

Zach lowered his head, dropping into a battle crouch.

"Think so do you?" he said as they did the same. "Try and **make** me then!"

"Why do you think we're here?" Gin finished, but then Akame looked at him.

"Gin," he said in a respectful yet quietly angry voice. "Let me do this. I started this, let me finish it."

Gin looked surprised, but nodded and stepped back out of the way with John as Akame squared himself off to Zach. The younger dog narrowed his eyes immediately.

"Don't underestimate me, Akame." he said. "You may be a legend, but I'm not a dog to be trifled with."

"I'm not." the Kishu responded intensely. "I've seen what you're capable of, Zach. Refocused, you could be a great male. But for now, you're just an opponent, and a worthy one in my eyes."

"Thanks Akame," the Malamute responded, not breaking his gaze. "I'm almost flattered."

On the last word, he suddenly lunged sideways at a tree and kicked off from it, flying at the ninja-dog seconds later at an impressive speed. Seeing him coming, Akame dodged quickly, making his jaws snap shut on empty air. Then he lunged back at him, faking a bite and smacking him hard across the face with his paw, claws extended. As his head snapped sideways and blood flew from his mouth, Zach leaped backwards out of his stumble, suddenly on the defense as Akame bit at him left and right, only landing a few glancing blows as the Malamute ducked and dodged almost every one, using his impressive speed to his advantage. Then suddenly, Zach threw dirt into the older dog's eyes and used the moment's distraction to knock him clean off his feet, diving onto him seconds later, teeth aiming for the ninja-dog's jugular. Akame was a master fighter though, and used the Malamute's own momentum and his hind legs to flip him so they were switched, making it so he was suddenly the one on top, Zach's neck between his jaws. The younger dog thrashed left and right as he tried to get free, eventually grabbing Akame's ear in his teeth just by sheer luck and biting hard, drawing blood.

Akame grimaced in pain, but kept his grip firm, trying to get a good stance on the ground to end the fight once and for all. He could have ripped Zach's throat out completely had he wanted, but Gin's words flashed through his mind, and he too was determined to end the fight with both of them still breathing. Suddenly, Zach wrapped his hind legs around Akame's midsection and rolled them, getting a foothold on the ground almost the second they landed and kicking off hard with his powerful legs, sending then flying into a tree trunk and making Akame take most of the blow. As the Kishu's grip loosened on his neck at the sudden impact, Zach twisted free and kicked him hard in the muzzle, cutting a large slash in his opponent's face and making the seasoned ninja-dog taste fresh blood in his mouth as he fell back onto his side.

Then the Malamute made a run for it, sprinting further into the pass as fast as he could manage in an attempt to get away. Akame, though, was much faster and was back on his paws again before Zach could even take 5 strides. He bolted down the pathway like lightning after his opponent, and lunged with all his strength as soon as he could, tackling him once more and sending them both rolling in a tangle of limbs further down the pass. Zach whirled around in response and tried to slash him across the face with his fangs, but Akame ducked the blow and kicked the Malamute as hard as he could in the stomach with his hind legs, winding him completely and giving him the opening he needed. Knocking him onto his back again, Akame shot his jaws right for the younger dog's throat, getting no resistance from the still stunned Malamute. Finally, once Zach's neck was firmly between his jaws again, Akame felt his paws get a good grip on the ground beneath them and he let loose his finishing move. Shifting his weight from his front to his hind legs, the ninja-dog swung around, making Zach's whole body go with him, and slammed the Malamute's head into a large, nearby rock as hard as he could. Blood exploded from the impact point, and Zach let out a surprised, pained grunt as he felt the hit, his eyes going wide. Then he went limp and lay still, Akame releasing his grip and jumping back as he did. The fight was over. Seeing this, Gin and John stepped forward, both looking pleased with the outcome.

"Impressive Akame." John said with a grin. "As always."

Akame nodded, panting slightly, then looked at Gin.

"No one else dies." he said and the Akita nodded with a grateful smile.

"Let's get him back to the others," he said and picked up the bleeding Malamute, throwing him over his back.

Then the three dogs headed back the way they'd come.

* * *

"I'm very sorry about everything that's happened." Riley said as the soldiers of Ohu stood in front of him. "I'll be talking to all my sons' subordinates about it after you leave. I promise you that I'll work to make this as right as I can."

Gin nodded kindly, recognizing the sincerity of his apology.

"I'm sure you will, Riley." he said.

He, John, and Akame had arrived back only a short time ago carrying the unconscious Zach, and had immediately been greeted by the others and Riley, who had been very concerned about the well-being of his eldest son. After cleaning the blood off of Zach's head wound a little, he had then helped them all wake him up and it had taken a minute to subdue him, his reaction being one of anger after realizing that he had lost the fight with Akame. The elder Malamute brother had finally calmed down upon seeing where he was though, and reluctantly allowed Chutora and Great to hold him in place as Gin and the others talked to his father. Beside the Ibaraki leader, James sat with a guilty expression, having gotten a good talking to from his father and the other Ohu soldiers who'd stayed at the base while the three leaders hunted down his brother. Now, Gin and his troupe were getting ready to depart Ibaraki once and for all, ready to move on to the next territory, but there were a few things that the Ohu leader wanted to address first. He looked at Riley with a patient, yet serious look.

"We may send a messenger back down here in a few months to see how things are going." he said. "In that time, you must do what you feel is right for James. After all, he's your son, and we're letting him stay in your care, despite what he helped do. Maybe now he can become the dog you meant him to be."

"He will." Riley said, and looked down at his younger son sternly.

James shrunk back a little, but gave a small, sheepish smile nonetheless.

"Yes father." he said, and Gin and Riley both nodded in approval.

Then everyone's gaze panned to the captive Zach, and any smiles that were on their muzzles faded instantly. The Malamute snorted slightly as they stared at him.

"Is this the part where I promise I'll be a good boy and you leave?" he asked sarcastically. "Because if it is, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Gin shook his head as he looked at him and then walked up until he was right in front of him.

"I wish we could, Zach." he said in a quiet but harsh voice, glaring right into the Malamute's eyes only inches from his face. "I really do. If I could have things the way I want them, I would leave you here with your family, and we would go on our way. But I can't, and I won't, and the reason for that is very unfortunate, but very simple: I don't trust you. I know you and I are going to have a difficult time accepting each other and getting along, to say nothing of you and the rest of my pack, but we're going to have to do it somehow, because until I feel I can trust you to be left alone without causing the needless deaths of others, you will stay with us…where I can keep my eye on you. Hopefully we can both become better males for it along the way."

Zach looked thunderstruck, and it was clear to everyone that this was the last thing he had expected.

"Y-You can't just…**keep** me!" he said in a shocked voice. "You have no right! This isn't even your territory!"

"But it **is** mine."

Zach's head swiveled towards the owner of the voice and Riley stepped forward, looking at his eldest son with a sad, but determined gaze.

"Zach," he said, trying to sound gentle. "Gin and I talked it over while you were unconscious, and we've both agreed that the best thing for you right now is to go with them. They can help you more than I can, son."

"You can't do this!" Zach stammered. "I protected this place! It's my home!"

"And no one is more thankful for it than me." Riley said, sounding even sadder than before. "But by doing that, you've become the very thing you were fighting against. I know that that's my fault, Zach…because I wasn't there for you, but the fact remains that you're not the dog you used to be, and I don't know how to fix that."

He walked up to his stunned older son and put a comforting paw on his shoulder.

"I love you, Zach." he said. "And I always will… but right now the person you need to be saved from the most is yourself, and I don't know how to do that."

"B-But **they** do? Their leader is practically my age! Father, please!"

"Yes," Riley said, looking tearfully at Gin. "I think they do. And I hope that before I die, they can return you to me as the good dog you once were. Once that happens, Zach, you'll be welcome to come back home. Until then, though, for your brother's sake if no other…you'll have to go with them."

For a moment, Zach stood completely still, clearly at a total loss for words, and Gin thought he saw a tear slide down the Malamute's furred cheek as Riley stepped back beside James, who nodded a goodbye at his brother before looking back at the ground. Then, Zach let out a faint growl, his eyes wet and trembling in fury.

"Fine then." he said, glaring at them both. "Send me away. See what fucking happens, Dad. They'll overrun the whole territory and you'll end up wishing I was still here, but FINE! I'LL FUCKING GO! You're both **dead** to me!"

Then he turned and stormed off, allowing Chutora and Great to guard him closely as he did. Gin felt a stab of pity for the Malamute as he stared after him, despite what he'd done, but he pushed it back and turned his head back to the tear-streaked Riley.

"We'll take care of him." he said. "You have my word."

"Thank you." Riley said. "Good luck to you, Gin."

"And you." Gin replied, then turned to his comrades.

"Guys," he said. "Let's go."

The soldiers of Ohu all responded with grunts or calls of support for their leader, and they resumed their course South, leaving the territory of Ibaraki behind them quickly. Once they were out of sight once and for all of Riley, James and their home base, Akame walked up beside the angry, miserable-looking Zach.

"You may not think so right now." he said in his calm voice. "But we're doing this for your own good. We don't have to be enemies anymore. I hope you learn to accept us as teachers…as friends."

Zach glared over at him furiously, his look suggesting that he would've liked nothing more than to hurt the ninja-dog as badly as he possibly could. Then he turned back to the path ahead.

"Go to hell." he spat in a quiet, shaky voice and Akame sighed.

Then he turned back to their track as well.

"I never said it would be easy." he replied softly, then sped up, walking up beside Gin and John at the front of the group, leaving the Malamute alone with his thoughts as they vanished over a hill.


	3. Story 3: The Haunted

**Author's Note: **I decided to try something a little different for this one, and I think that it turned out very well. Tell me what you think! Thanks!

* * *

John stretched his neck as they kept their pace steady. At the rate they were going, they would reach the next stop on their journey, the Kanagawa Prefecture, very shortly, and he was actually looking forward to getting there. The small territory rested directly against the ocean, and the group of them had been able to smell the salty odor of the sea as soon as they'd gotten close. John had always liked the ocean, and its approaching proximity had improved his mood somewhat, something he was sure Gin and Akame were grateful for. It had been a little less than a week since they left the Ibaraki territory, and though he had made a distinct effort not to, John had found himself in almost immediate conflict with their newest packmate.

In the short time he'd been with them, Zach had switched moods a few times, going from a wounded depression at his father's rejection of him to a sullen anger at the Ohu Soldiers for figuring him out and forcing him to leave his home, something that Gin had quickly and sternly reminded him he had brought upon himself. The Malamute had retaliated for this by switching to a positively infuriating form of sarcasm, driving them all to the limits of their patience with his little offhand comments about them and their actions. This had culminated with John himself whirling around to smack him in the face, claws extended, and send him flying into a tree. Then the Shepherd had nearly driven him off permanently in fury…until Akame and Gin had chastised him quietly for playing right into the Malamute's paws and nearly doing exactly what he had wanted him to do in the first place. This had embarrassed John somewhat, and though Zach had been moved up to the front of the group, where Gin claimed he could keep a better eye on him, he felt like he had been defeated somehow by the other male.

In the past, John would've immediately retaliated for this, having always had problems with his temper, but now that he was one of the leaders of Ohu, he needed to behave more like one, and it was with great difficulty that he let this incident slide. Kurotora helped his mood a little by telling him that if there was trouble, he would use Zach as a living shield, a remark which the Malamute had attempted to respond to, until Akame had bitten him hard on the back of the neck, telling him crossly that he needed to learn respect, and that each time he tried to taunt them from there on, he would get bitten, each time harder than the last. Zach had done it a few more times anyway, probably testing the ninja-dog's resolve, John thought, and had quickly and painfully discovered that the elder canine was true to his word. After this, he had shut up, and they had walked in relative quiet until they reached where they were now. Suddenly, John heard Gin talking, which snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Kurotora, Chutora," the Akita was saying. "You know this pack, right? What kind of welcome should we expect?"

"They're good males, leader." Kurotora responded. "Their boss, Hideo, is an old friend of Akatora's. His cousin Isao was the one who fought and died for us during the war."

"Why didn't he come himself?" John asked and the Kai dog turned to him as they walked.

"He was partially crippled in an accident a few years back." he answered and the Shepherd turned back to the path ahead of him with a nod. "The way I hear it, he knew he wouldn't have been any use to us, so he sent Isao instead."

"That's very kind of him." Gin said. "Maybe this will go well after all."

"Or better than the last one at least." John said, shooting a reproachful glare Zach, who stood silently on Gin's other side.

The Malamute grinned superciliously.

"I know." he said in a fake sympathetic voice. "But wasn't it fun?"

"No." John replied flatly. "It wasn't. And in case you hadn't heard, you lost."

"John…" Gin warned and Zach opened his mouth to say shoot back a retort, but after noticing the glare Akame shot at him, wisely kept his mouth shut.

Then they kept walking, crossing a small stream seconds later and officially entering the Kanagawa Prefecture.

"How do you think Smith, Great, & Wilson are doing over in Shizuoka?" Chutora asked, apparently eager to break the silence.

"Hopefully well," Gin responded from his position up front. "If all goes as it should, we should meet back up with them at the next territory we come to."

"Hey," Zach said suddenly. "You hear that?"

"Shut it." the Kai dog said crossly, then turned back to the others. "Who were they going to give condolences for?"

"I don't remember." the Akita said. "It was someone Great was pretty close to, though, I know that. It only felt right that he give the condolences and not us."

"No seriously," Zach piped up again, "It sounds like someone's right over there."

"I said **shut up**!" Chutora hissed and John looked at the Malamute.

"Do you really think that **you** would've heard something **we** didn't, brat?" he scoffed and Zach gave him a snorting frown.

"Does your ego even **fit** in this territory?" he retorted sarcastically and Kurotora burst out laughing despite himself as John growled angrily.

He bit at the Malamute's face as he jumped aside with a grin and then squared off to him, his hackles raised.

"That does it!" he snapped. "This time you lose a limb you little – "

"Shh!" Akame said suddenly, interrupting him.

Gin turned to him as the two quarreling dogs quieted down and saw him looking intently at a small grove of trees to their right.

"What is it, Akame?" he asked and the ninja dog was silent for a moment.

Then he responded without looking at them.

"I think he's right." he said, referring to Zach. "There's someone over there."

The Malamute shot John a smug look at this, but the Shepherd managed to ignore him and step up beside his two friends. Gin stepped forward, looking at where the trees stopped and the banks of the small stream began.

"Excuse me!" he called. "We're looking for Hideo and his pack! Do you know where we can find them?"

There was no answer at first and the Akita looked at Akame quizzically, as if double-checking that he was right. The Kishu nodded and Gin went to talk again, but suddenly, a dog burst from the trees, moving like he was running for his life, and skidded to a halt abruptly upon seeing them. When they looked at him, Akame and John having quickly dropped into battle crouches around Gin as a precaution, they saw that he was clearly terrified of something, and his head whipped back and forth in fear.

"Oh no…" he said shakily. "Oh fuck, no!"

Gin looked at him in concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked and the dog turned to him, looking nothing short of hysterical.

"Are you real?" he yelled, and Gin blinked in surprise.

"Uh…"

"Are you fucking real?" the dog said louder and then turned and screamed over his shoulder. "SHUT UP! Go away!"

Behind him, there was nothing in sight, and the Ohu soldiers looked at one another in confusion, none of them knowing what to say. Then, suddenly, the dog turned and ran off again, and Gin straightened up where he stood.

"Hey!" he barked and they all took off running after him, following him through the trees of the forest that surrounded the stream and past over a mile of terrain before he stopped dead at the edge of another clearing.

As John and the others skidded to a halt as well, they realized that they had stopped at a road, clearly used by the humans for traveling to and from the nearby ocean's shore. Almost immediately, the dog turned and faced them again.

"They won't stop!" he said in a hoarse voice. "They shouldn't even be here! It's impossible! They won't go away!"

"Who?" Gin demanded. "Who's hurting you?"

The dog didn't answer, though, and seemed to be mumbling to himself. As the Akita tried to take a step closer to him, he suddenly looked up and his eyes were blazing.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he howled and Gin stopped in his tracks.

Then, suddenly, they all heard a faint rumble, growing closer by the second. The dog looked at them again, a desperate look on his face.

"Get out!" he pleaded. "If you want to live, get out! This place is **hell**! They never, ever stop!"

With that, he took a step backwards out onto the road and John tensed up at the same time everyone else did.

"What are you doing?" Gin asked anxiously and the dog spoke in a soft voice.

"Making them go away…" he said.

Then, before any of them could react, a truck came speeding around the bend in the road, its momentum clearly telling them that it wasn't going to stop for anything. Gin looked at the dog in alarm.

"NO!" he yelled, but neither he, nor Akame or John had any time to react.

Before any of them could so much as move, the truck hit the dog hard in the middle of the road, sending him flying sideways as if he had been a bullet from a gun. His body was shattered on impact, and he bounced and rolled down the black concrete, getting run over by the truck's back tire before finally coming to rest on his side. Then, as if it hadn't even noticed, the truck sped off, leaving the dog lying dead in a pool of his own blood, his entrails and a leg strewn across the road behind him. For a long while, none of the Ohu dogs even made a sound, all of them too horrified to know what to do. Then, Zach's voice broke the quiet, and it's tone sounded halfway between true shock and mild bemused surprise.

"Huh." he said, and none of them even bothered to respond.

* * *

It didn't take long for the group of them to snap back to their senses, and once they had, Gin turned to John.

"Let's go find Hideo's pack." he said urgently and the Shepherd nodded in agreement.

Then the Akita turned and ran back into the forest away from the road, John and Akame at his either side and the others following close behind.

"What the hell was that?" Kurotora asked in a shaken, almost angry sounding voice and John saw Akame glance over his shoulder at him.

"I don't know!" he responded as he ran. "But that dog looked sick! Whatever did that to him could affect Hideo's pack if we don't warn them!"

"Are your trips always this exciting?" Zach asked from where he ran by Chutora and Kurotora looked over at him.

"You'd be surprised." he said and the Malamute gave an almost amused nod, keeping up with the rest of them surprisingly easily.

"Where's Hideo's base, Kais?" John asked from the front and Chutora said:

"It should be right up here!"

Gin sped up their pace upon hearing this and sure enough, they emerged into a clearing seconds later, seeing the Kanagawa pack's home base resting at one end of it. The minute they had, they all came to an abrupt halt, their jaws dropping. Chutora stepped forward, looking even more shocked than before.

"W-What...?" he stammered, and the others didn't respond.

Dead dogs lay scattered around the clearing, some half torn apart and some almost untouched, all in various stages of decomposition. It was Hideo and the Kanagawa clan. John found himself a little repulsed as he looked around at them. It was clear that they had been dead for some time, and the more he looked at their wounds, the more bizarre the situation became. On his right, he saw a dog that appeared to have blinded himself with his own claws, slashing his own eyes out until he bled to death. A few feet away was another one that had no face left, having smashed it into a nearby tree repeatedly until he fractured his skull. Then he heard a moan of shock and looked over to see Chutora and Kurotora standing over something on the other side of the clearing. When he went over himself, he saw another body that he assumed was Hideo himself, his eyes wide open in terror and no apparent wounds on him. He turned to Akame, who had walked up at the same time as him.

"What killed him, Akame?" he asked and the ninja dog shook his head, sniffing at the corpse.

"I don't know." he said. "It doesn't look like he was even touched. It could be a heart attack."

"That doesn't explain the rest of this." Zach said, looking much less enthused by the situation then he had before.

"Oh, now you want to help?" John said, looking at him as though he were a nuisance he had just noticed.

The Malamute gestured to the rest of the clearing with his muzzle.

"Have you seen this shit?" he demanded. "This isn't normal! This guy over here impaled himself on a tree branch…through the fucking **ear**! Something caused this and I'd rather be safe than **dead**."

"Of course something caused this!" Kurotora snapped crossly, looking shaken at Hideo's death. "But what?"

"Hold it." Gin said suddenly and they all turned to him. "You smell that?"

Frowning in surprise, John sniffed at the air at the same time the others did, pulling back a little seconds later. There was indeed a strange smell in the air, and it wasn't the stench of the decomposition of the bodies around them. Glancing over at the others, John saw Akame over by one side of the clearing.

"It's coming from this way." he said urgently, looking back at them.

Then he kept walking in that direction and the rest of them followed him, all of them sticking close in case something happened. Eventually, after walking up a steep incline, they came to an open area, and immediately saw something very disturbing in their sight. Down the other side of the incline in a small valley, looking very ominous and threatening despite being at least a mile away, was a human building. Surrounding it on every side were barbed wire fences and inside their perimeter, more dead dogs lay decomposing, some already nothing but bone and shed fur.

"They must have been the guard dogs," Akame said. "That looks like one of those labs humans have where they experiment on animals."

Chutora shook his head in disbelief from a few feet over.

"What the hell happened in this territory?" he said. "I never heard a word from Hideo about there being trouble."

Then John spoke up.

"I don't know, but maybe **that** has something to do with it."

They all turned and followed his gaze and immediately tensed up when they saw it. In the side of the building there was a gaping hole, and pouring out of it, disappearing as it hit the air outside, was a green gas, its sheer amount suggesting that it was spreading in all directions and permeating every part of the territory around the facility.

"What **is** that?" Zach asked and Gin shook his head.

"Nothing good…" he said, then turned to the others. "We should get out of this territory fast."

Akame nodded.

"I agree." he said. "We're putting ourselves in danger just by staying here. We leave on your command, leader."

"Consider it given." Gin said and the group of them turned and walked quickly back down the incline the way they'd come, moving immediately towards the Southern border of the territory.

Suddenly, Kurotora stumbled a little, and John looked back at him in concern as the Kai dog righted his balance.

"Kuro," he said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, keep going." Kurotora said, shaking his head a little. "This smell is just making me a little dizzy."

"Same here." Zach commented from where he stood and John kept his mouth shut, not wanting to admit that he too was feeling a little lightheaded.

Then, the Shepherd turned his attention back to where he was going…and nearly ran right into Gin, who had come to a dead stop in the middle of the path in front of them. Akame skidded to a halt, seeing this.

"Gin," he said. "What is it?"

As John looked at the Akita's face, he grew increasingly concerned. Gin's eyes were wide and shocked and he looked like he had seen a ghost, but at the part of the trees he was looking at, there was nothing. The German Shepherd moved around to Gin's front.

"Gin?" he said. "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

The young leader seemed to look right past him and when he spoke, his voice was shaky.

"F-Father?" he said softly and the others pulled back in surprise.

"Father?" John barked. "What do you mean – …father."

Then he trailed off, and John felt his breath catch in his throat. Over Gin's shoulder and behind Akame, standing motionless at the tree line on the other edge of their path, was another German Shepherd…one that looked a lot like him. John nearly trembled despite himself.

"Dad…?" he whispered in disbelief, then said. "Th-That's not possible…"

Suddenly, the other German Shepherd turned and walked back into the trees away from them, disappearing moments later, and John grunted in surprise.

"Wait!" he yelled and ran after him, hearing Gin take off running in the opposite direction as he did.

Then he was out of sight. Zach, meanwhile, looked around at his new companions in increasing confusion. He frowned.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" he asked and looked over at them, expecting a retort of some kind.

It didn't come and no one was listening. He saw Kurotora and Chutora suddenly running in different directions into the trees as well, both yelling "Brother, wait!" at no one, while Akame leapt clear over him and ran back the way they came, shouting "Kirikaze! Hayato!" like his life depended on it. Zach whipped his head around, realizing that he was now alone.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" he yelled, but no one was there to answer.

* * *

"Wait!" John yelled again as he crashed through the underbrush after the vanishing figure. "Father!"

The Ohu warrior hadn't felt that shaken in a long time. His father, who's name had been Will, had died years ago when John was just out of adolescence, and though the moody German Shepherd had never gotten along with his father that well, he had gone to pay his respects anyway, and had seen his grave personally when he had. That was why it was absolutely impossible for his father to have been standing there, and he found himself wondering who this newcomer was that looked so much like his own flesh and blood. Suddenly, he emerged from the trees he was running through, and nearly ran head-on into the dog he had been chasing, who had come to a stop dead in the middle of his path. John skidded to a halt quickly, stopping mere inches away…and got a good look at him for the first time. When he did, he felt his stunned shock return. There was no imposter in front of him. It was indeed his long dead father, Will. The elder Shepherd looked at him calmly, his expression unreadable.

"Hello, John." he said and his voice sounded strangely distant.

For a moment, John's voice failed him, and he felt embarrassed by his lack of composure in that moment.

"D-Dad…" he said shakily. "How are – You can't possibly be – "

"You see me don't you?" came the answer, and John managed a frown.

"But you're dead." he said, his shock still clearly audible. "I saw your grave."

"You don't look half bad, boy." Will said, seemingly ignoring him as he looked him over. "Your mother would be proud. I, on the other hand, am **amazed** you're still alive."

John's next question died in his throat.

"What?" he asked, his tone one of confusion.

Will looked him in the eye.

"I figured that temper of yours would've gotten you killed a long time ago." he said in a cold, disapproving voice. "I'm just surprised that it hasn't."

John felt a wounded, indignant anger shoot through him, and he growled slightly. His temper had always been a sore spot between him and his father, and it had led to many unpleasant exchanges in the past.

"Father," he said shakily. "I don't want to do this. Not now. Now tell me how you're here."

Will shook his head, a small knowing smirk appearing on his muzzle.

"You haven't changed a bit, John." he said. "You still have that same arrogant tone in your voice that you did as a pup. I should've known you would never change."

"Dad, shut up." John threatened, feeling very angry and hurt.

"And you wonder why your mother and I were so willing to give you away to that human."

"SHUT UP!"

"I don't see any friends with you, boy." Will spat, looking around him. "Or do you even have any? It was always a wonder to me how anyone could even tolerate having you around."

That's what made John snap. With a roar of fury, he lunged at his father, teeth bared and ready to strike…and went clear through him. Suddenly, before he could even begin to fathom what had happened, the ground beneath him was gone and he was falling, a vast, dark blue ocean rising up to meet him from far below. John let out a yelp of fear and grabbed at something that he saw out of the corner of his eye desperately. It was a protruding tree root, and as his jaws closed tightly around it, his body smashed against the rock face that it was jutting out of and he dangled, his paws having absolutely no surface to grab onto.

'SHIT!' he thought as his mind raced. 'What the fuck just happened? I went **through** him! How the hell is this happening? And where did this cliff come from?"

Suddenly, his mind flashed back to the human building they had just seen as a group and the green gas that had been coming out of it. At the same time, he remembered the behavior of the first dog they'd seen and everything came together in his mind.

'It's not real.' he thought. 'Somehow…it's all in our minds!'

As he thought this, he saw his father's head suddenly look over the edge of the cliff down at him. The elder Shepherd smirked.

"You see?' he said. "There's that temper of yours again. Why don't you save the world a lot of grief, John, and just let go?"

Short of killing his spirit, this insult filled John with a new determination, and he reached and kicked with his hind legs at the nearby rock face, getting a grip after a few failed tries. Then he put his front paws on the root, dug his claws into the cliff side, and kicked off as hard as he could, sailing up and back onto solid ground seconds later. Then, panting slightly, he looked at his father.

"Never," he said angrily. "My friends need me. Gin needs me. And you're not my father."

Will frowned as an evil smile crept across his muzzle.

"Fool." he said. "I'm exactly who you think I am."

John, however, wasn't listening, and had already run off back the way he'd come, away from the cliff his father had led him to.

'We have to get out of here.' he thought fearfully. 'These visions drove Hideo and his clan mad. I have to find the others and we have **got** to get out of this place!'

* * *

'They're dead! How could they be here? It's impossible!'

These thoughts flashed repeatedly through Akame's head as he ran, and he looked around him in desperation as he lost sight of his two former ninja clan subordinates. The powerful, dependable Kirikaze, who could've been the Iga clan leader one day, and the shy, gentle Hayato, who had been no great warrior, but Akame had loved him almost most of all. Their appearance to him had come as such a total shock that he had temporarily forgotten about Gin and John and their own bizarre behavior right before his departure from the rest of them. At this point though, they were no longer his priority, and he continued to chase the white furred backsides of his two former comrades into the trees, watching as they suddenly disappeared right as he approached a clearing that they had passed through earlier. Akame skidded to a halt, his head whipping around.

"Kirikaze!" he yelled. "Hayato! Where are you?"

There was no answer.

"Kirikaze!" he shouted louder. "Haya– "

Suddenly, he stopped in mid-word. The two of them had walked out from behind a nearby tree, both looking unscathed and not a day older than he had last known them. Akame felt himself trembling as they walked slowly towards him.

"Boss…" Kirikaze said, his voice almost ethereal sounding. "I'm glad to see you."

"I'm glad you're alive." Hayato said, his tail wagging slightly. "We both really wanted to see you again."

Akame felt joy enter him the like of which he hadn't felt in a long time.

"How are you here?" he said, unable to contain his laugh of happiness. "How are you still alive?"

Kirikaze smiled at him.

"We're not." he said. "We're both dead and rotting."

Akame felt all the happiness in him die on the spot. A frown formed on his muzzle and he looked back and forth between them.

"Wh-What?" he stammered and Kirikaze took a step towards him.

"I said." he replied slowly, his voice now ice cold and malevolent sounding. "We're dead…and rotten."

"And it's all thanks to you, Akame-san." Hayato said, still wearing the same smile as before, only now it looked nothing short of creepy to Akame.

The elder ninja-dog took a step backwards, a sudden fear entering him.

"Then how are –? You can't be – " he said and Kirikaze cut him off.

"Do you know how it feels to die, sir?" he asked and Akame couldn't find the words to respond. "It hurts. It hurts so much."

"I was afraid, Boss." Hayato said, and his face now looked sad. "I died afraid, alone, and in pain…and you didn't save me."

Akame clenched his eyes shut, shaking his head and turning his face to the ground.

"This can't be real." he said to himself. "It can't be…"

"Why didn't you save me, Boss?" Hayato asked with a whimper and Akame felt tears begin sliding down his cheeks.

He didn't even get a chance to respond before Kirikaze jumped in as well.

"So you **do **have a heart." he snorted, his voice almost taunting. "Imagine that."

Akame's eyes went wide, and he suddenly realized what was going on, despite how badly the comment had stung him.

'That gas.' he thought. 'It's that gas! It's messing with our heads, playing on our fears! That's what happened to that first dog we saw! That's what happened to **everyone** in this territory! Shit! We have to get out of here!'

Akame turned, and he immediately began running back towards where their group had parted ways. Suddenly, though, Kirikaze and Hayato were running on either side of him, passing clear through trees as he went around them. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't block them out.

"Don't leave us, Boss!" Hayato pleaded. "Not again!"

"You were responsible for our safety." Kirikaze said viciously from his other side. "You **failed** us. You failed us **all**."

Akame closed his eyes again, trying desperately to close them out, but suddenly ran right into a tree and fell back with a painful 'THUD', his forehead bleeding. Groaning slightly, he pushed himself shakily to his paws, and once he had gotten his bearings, after pausing for a minute to calm himself a little, he began walking forward in a determined, deliberate saunter.

"I'm Akame of Iga." he said aloud to himself, trying to keep his mind in the present. "I have a duty to my friends."

"Was bringing Kurojaki to justice really worth our lives?" Kirikaze asked, reappearing beside him. "Was it worth everything that happened?"

"The first law of the ninja-dog," Akame said, trying to ignore their voices. "Is to always put your mission first."

"I called for you." Hayato's voice said from beside him. "I begged you to come. You abandoned me, boss!"

"The second law of the ninja dog – "

"LOOK AT ME!" Kirikaze screamed suddenly in his ear. "LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

" – is to remain faithful to your clan and comrades."

"NOOOO!"

Akame snapped back to the present instantly. The yell had come from nearby, and he had recognized it instantly. He felt panic seize him.

"Gin!" he yelled, his eyes going wide.

Then he took off like a shot, running towards his friend's voice, hoping that nothing horrible had happened. Beside him, Kirikaze and Hayato ran as well, their continued presence making the ninja-dog's already frayed nerves keep unraveling.

"Uh oh, Boss." Kirikaze said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Sounds like you failed someone else too."

* * *

John's head whipped back and forth quickly as he ran. He had already gotten back to the spot where they had split up and had been dismayed to find that everyone else had scattered as well, all of them running in different directions and making his job even harder than it needed to be. Thinking quickly though, he had found Gin's scent with his powerful sense of smell and followed it, hoping it would lead him to his friend. This had worked up until had come to a stream and lost the scent, realizing that Gin, in his delirium, had walked into the water and allowed it to wash away his trail with it as it flowed away through the forest. Unable to find it again after that, John had decided to go back towards where they'd entered the territory to begin with, hoping that no one had been lured towards the building that was causing all this madness. Either way, he knew, he had to work fast. If the effects of the gas got any worse, they could all end up like Hideo and his pack, victims of their own delusions. His own seemed impossible to escape, and the harder he tried, the more he saw his father at every turn, continually taunting him as he began getting desperate in his search. John looked around again, growling more with each step.

'Where the hell **is** everyone?' he thought. 'They have to around here somewhere?'

Suddenly, he picked up a new scent and stopped in his tracks. Sniffing at it again, he frowned slightly. It was Zach's scent, and it very recent. John snorted.

'Terrific.' he thought sarcastically. 'Of all people I find **him**. Well…he **is** our responsibility I guess, and it's better than finding no one.'

"If he pisses you off, why don't you just kill him, _son_?" Will's voice said smirkingly from behind him as if reading his mind. "You know you want to. Besides, it would be par for the course in John-land."

"Fuck you." John spat back, and sprinting forward, began following the trail, which took him past the human lab building and back towards the road where the first dog was killed in front of them.

Eventually, it entered his sights and he saw someone walking right at it, stumbling slightly and shaking his head as if trying to clear it.

"Zach!" he yelled, recognizing him, but the Malamute didn't hear him.

John ran towards him again, and as soon as he did, he saw movement on his left, further down on the road from where they were. Glancing to see what it was, he saw immediately that it was a car, it's speed making it hard to follow as it disappeared and reappeared in his view a couple times from behind trees and rocks. What he **could** tell though, was that it was heading right for where Zach was walking. He ran faster.

"Zach!" he shouted again. "Look out!"

If the young Malamute heard him that time, he still didn't acknowledge him, and he stumbled out onto the black concrete of the road before John could stop him. Then the car came flying around the same corner that the first one had, and John panicked, putting on a sudden burst of speed. What happened next surprised even him. Jumping into the air, John lunged and tackled the Malamute before the car could hit him, sending the two of them rolling down the slope on the other side into the trees, coming to rest with the German Shepherd on top, pinning the younger dog on his back by the shoulders. Then John looked down at him.

"Zach!" he said, but the Malamute was looking right past him, and John saw tear streaks beneath his eyes.

"No…" he mumbled. "It's not my fault…I did what I thought was right…"

"Zach!" he barked urgently, shaking him a little. "Snap out of it!"

The younger dog finally saw him then and looked up at him, but was still clearly under the gas's influence.

"I-I can't c-concentrate." Zach responded, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head hard. "They just – they won't – SHUT UP!"

The last words he screamed at an empty clearing to the side and John shook him harder, realizing that he must have been seeing his father and younger brother.

"Listen to me," he demanded. "They are **not** real! Don't listen to them! They. Are. Not. Real!"

"Of course we are." Will taunted from beside them, but John kept his focus on Zach.

"No…" the younger dog moaned. "They won't shut up! They're talking in my head a-and – "

Suddenly, John reared back and smacked Zach across the face with his paw hard, making the Malamute's head snap sideways before he looked back at him in shock, his eyes a little clearer somehow. John pinned him fully again.

"You feel that?" he snapped, looking Zach right in the eyes. "That was **real**! That was something I've wanted to do to you for the past week and it was **real**! **They** aren't real! They're an illusion, a hallucination! You hear me? Don't listen to anything they say!"

Zach looked conflicted and his eyes darted back and forth as he took in the Shepherd's words. John grabbed his head with both paws and turned it to face him forcibly.

"Do you hear me?" he demanded. "Don't listen to them! Nod if you understand!"

Zach paused for a second, then nodded quickly, looking very shaken by everything that was happening.

"Good." John said, releasing his pin and getting off him. "Now you listen, kid. We have to get Gin and the others and get out of here fast, but I can't do that alone. I need you to watch my back and not let this gas affect me, and I'll do the same for you. But you'd better be ready, because this won't be easy."

As Zach looked at him, John saw Will walk around behind him, an almost triumphant smirk on his face.

"You want to tell him how much he reminds you of yourself, John," he asked. "Or should I?"

John gripped the ground hard in fury with his claws, and kept his eyes fixed on Zach's as the Malamute stared at him, looking half surprised, and half in awe at his words.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because I don't know where anyone else is, and you're all I've got." John responded, not having time to mince words. "And because somewhere beneath that irritating as fuck exterior of yours, there's a real male, and I need him right now."

Zach broke their met gaze and stared down at the ground, looking as if he were contemplating the Shepherd's words. Seeing this, John spoke again.

"Show me." he said, and the Malamute looked at him again. "Show me right now that you're worthy to stand with us, to be a soldier of Ohu."

Zach gaped at him for a second, then got a more determined look on his face and rose to his feet, wincing a little from the fall as he did. He smirked slightly at John as he did.

"Your ego is showing again." he teased and the Shepherd snorted.

"I'll bite you for that remark later." he said, allowing a small grin to creep across his muzzle. "For now, let's go."

Zach nodded, then John saw him turn and look back at the empty clearing he had yelled at moments before.

"I'm sorry." he said softly.

Then he turned and followed John and they both ran off together, back to where the others needed their help.

* * *

For a minute or two after he ran away from where he had been, Akame wasn't sure where Gin's voice had come from. There was no scent trail that he could follow, and the Akita hadn't made any other sounds since the one that he'd heard, so all Akame had to go on was his own eyesight. He was very worried for his friend, fearing what could've happened to him under the influence of the gas, and the more he didn't find him, the more desperate he got. Skidding to a halt amongst a group of trees, Akame looked around him, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Gin!" he yelled. "Gin!"

"A-Akame?" came a faint return voice, and Akame shot off towards it, realizing instantly that it was Gin.

A few hundred feet later, the ninja-dog saw the Akita, off near a grove on his left, leaning his forehead against a tree. He immediately ran over to him, stopping when he was right beside him.

"Gin!" he said. "Are you okay?"

The Akita glanced at him, and Akame could see that he was trembling slightly.

"Akame?" he responded. "Wh-Why are – Don't say that! Please don't!"

He had turned and shouted at the empty space to his right before he could even finish his thought, and Akame knew that he needed to act fast.

"Leader," he said, "There's no one there."

"I-I know…" Gin responded shakily. "But he – they – "

Suddenly, he growled and turned his whole head away from Akame and yelled hoarsely:

"That's not true! I wanted to save you, father!"

Akame pulled back a little with a look of shock.

'He's seeing Riki!' he thought, 'This could be harder than I thought.'

He pushed his friend away from the tree a little and jumped in front of him, putting a paw on his shoulder as he forced him to look at him.

"Gin," he said. "You have to fight it! Your father isn't there!"

"How is this – this happening?" Gin asked, clearly trying not to listen to the hallucinations as he did.

"It's that gas!" Akame answered, staring right back at him and trying to ignore Kirikaze and Hayato right next to him. "From the human building. It's causing this! I think it's bringing our own guilt to life, our own fears! It's making us face them in the form of the people we want to see the most. But you **have** to fight it!"

Gin shook his head hard and took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes.

"I am the leader of Ohu." he said, his voice nearly breaking anyway. "I have a responsibility to my friends…No…I had to kill him…"

Then Akame saw a tear trace its way down the younger dog's cheek and he realized that not only must Riki still have been taunting him, he was still reliving the guilt of killing Heizo the assassin only a short time ago. Akame leaned his head against the Akita's in a rare display of physical comfort and held him in place with his front leg, making sure that he didn't go anywhere.

"Gin," he said gently. "Whatever your father is saying to you, don't listen to any of it. It isn't him. You are one of the greatest leaders I have ever known, and I know that your father would be proud of you. And as for what happened with Heizo, you had **no** **choice**. You hear me? You had no other choice."

"I didn't mean to kill him." Gin responded in an equally soft tone. "He wasn't like Gaia or Sniper or Shuga. I didn't have to kill him…"

"Gin," Akame said again. "I know it's hard, but you can't save everyone. You just can't."

As he talked, Akame looked over and saw Hayato and Kirikaze standing a few feet away, now just staring at him instead of taunting, a sad look on the former's face. Then he kept going.

"Believe me," the ninja-dog said, feeling his own eyes begin to water again. "I wish you could. But that just isn't the way the world works."

After a pause, he heard Gin say.

"I know…"

Then he pulled back a little, getting a better look at him as he did.

"Then we need to find John and the others and get out of here now." he said and Gin stood up straighter, nodding after shaking his head again.

"Let's…" he said, pausing for a moment to think. "Let's head back to that clearing where we all split up in the first place. Maybe they're there already."

Akame nodded at him, then turned and began to move off in that direction, feeling Gin right beside him as he did. He glanced over at him in concern as they ran.

"You okay, Gin?" he asked and the Akita looked over at him with a slightly forced smile.

"I will be." he responded and Akame, though not entirely convinced, felt relieved anyway.

At the speed they were going, it didn't take them long to get back to the original clearing where all the trouble had begun, and once they had, they trotted to a halt. Akame was about to ask Gin what his orders were when he heard:

"Gin! Akame!"

Turning immediately towards it, the Kishu saw John emerge from the trees on the clearing's other side, flanked by Zach, Kurotora, and Chutora, all of them looking a little ragged but still in one piece. Gin's face seemed to light up a little as he saw them.

"John!" he said. "You're all okay?"

John didn't answer, but Kurotora said in a hoarse voice.

"None of us will be okay if we don't get out of this hell hole fast!"

"Agreed." the Akita said. "And now that we're all here, we're going to make a run for the Southern border. But while we run we **stick together**. Concentrate on each other and the path in front of you. If someone starts to lag behind, we all slow down together and help them."

They all turned their heads towards Zach as he said this, but the Malamute shook his head once.

"Don't worry about me." he said. "I can keep up easily. Worry about yourselves."

This seemed to satisfy the rest of them and they turned to Gin, who motioned for them to come up next to him. When they were, he said:

"Let's go."

At this, they all broke into a run, and began jumping around trees and over small bushes in their path, occasionally glancing over at each other to make sure the others were still okay. It didn't take long, though, for Akame to sense another presence beside him once more, and glancing over, he saw exactly who he expected to.

"Leaving us behind again, are you boss?" Kirikaze said. "I never should've trusted you!"

"Don't leave us, Akame-san!" Hayato whimpered. "Please don't leave again!"

Akame clenched his jaw tightly as he tried to contain his emotions, but then he looked over at Kirikaze.

"You were right." he said and the other ninja-dog met his gaze. "I **did** fail you. That war was never a life I wanted for either of you. But I swear to you this…I won't fail them."

Kirikaze said nothing, and Akame turned to Hayato.

"Goodbye." he said.

Then he kept running with Gin and the others, glancing over his shoulder long enough to see that both Kirikaze and Hayato had vanished, and the woods were once again empty. After a little while longer, they arrived at the Southern border of the Kanagawa territory, all of them coming to a stop as they did, most of them panting a little from the effort of the long run. Then Kurotora looked up at them.

"He's gone." he said, and his voice sounded relieved. "They're gone."

"We're out of range of the gas." John said, looking like a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "I think we should be fine now."

"Send word to every pack you can." Gin said to them from his position. "Avoid this territory at all costs. No one is to come near it again."

"Yes leader." Chutora said and John walked up to Gin's side from where he had been.

"Where to now, Gin?" he asked and Gin looked at him.

"We should meet up with Smith, Great, and Wilson in Yamanashi." he said. "We'll figure out where to go from there."

John nodded and started to turn and walk off, pausing for a moment though when he saw Gin turn back to look one last time at the Kanagawa territory.

"Bye Dad." the Akita said softly, and John looked down at the ground, not wanting to intrude and thinking of his own father for a final time as well.

Then Gin turned and kept going on their path, heading into the Yamanashi territory as he did, and the others followed close behind. As they did, John glanced over at Zach, who was walking beside him on his right.

"You still want to go home, kid?" he asked and the Malamute looked up at him, his face appearing to be halfway between the defiantness of before and a new look of near admiration.

"I…" he said, then paused, making John turn his full attention to him. "I…don't know."

John smirked at him.

"Good answer." he said kindly, then turned back to the path, leaving Kanagawa behind him once and for all.


	4. Story 4:  The Great One

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait on this, I just had a number of other things to do in the meantime...and writer's block. That said, I actually like the way this came out. The Dam at the end is actually a real place in Nagano, Japan, and you should look it up to see how high it actually is. Hope you all like it! Please review.

* * *

The wind was stronger than normal today. Daian shivered as it blew into the sanctuary of her cave home, rustling her black fur and chilling her to the bone. Glancing outside, she sniffed at the air and tried to pick up the scent of her 3 pups. They should've been back from their hunt 15 minutes ago, and the Labrador was just about ready to go and look for them.

'Those kids…' she thought affectionately, with just a touch of exasperation, 'I knew I shouldn't have let them hunt on their own this early. They get so easily distracted.'

Stretching her legs tiredly, a result of the nap she'd been taking, she stood and got ready to head out. Maybe she was being overprotective, she thought, but given the proximity of where they lived to the humans, who lived not far to the west from where they were, she didn't want to take any chances. The humans didn't usually bother them, or the other strays of the area for that matter, and aside from the building where they took dogs that were violent or problematic, there was very little that she had to worry about in the Nagano prefecture. Still though, she wanted to be sure, especially with her 3 bundles of energy in the stage of their puppy hood where they loved exploring and examining everything. Dismissing the thoughts from her mind, she walked forward towards the cave entrance…and nearly ran right into a dog that she hadn't seen walk up.

"Excuse me, miss?" he said and she jumped back with a yelp of surprise.

"Who are **you**?" she asked warily and he shot her a disarming smile.

"Sorry for startling you." he said. "It's just that I need directions. I'm from up at Keji. I don't know this area too well."

"Keji?" she repeated, looking him over as she did. "The animal laboratory? Why are you all the way down here?"

"There was an escape this morning." he said gravely. "A number of pretty bad dogs got away. We found your pups wandering around and thought we should bring them back before something happened."

At that, 3 tiny, black furred pups shot around the corner and ran up to her, barking excitedly and talking at once to her. Daian smiled in relief, licking each one of them before turning back to the dog, who still wore a smile on his muzzle. He was a Beauceron, she saw, and was relatively handsome, despite the numerous scars that adorned his back, face, and chest. She nodded gratefully at him.

"Thank you." she said. "But do you think those dogs are down around here, um…"

"Toraji." he offered, and then added. "And we're not sure. We're looking everywhere we can think of. Have you seen any suspicious dogs around here lately? Any dogs at all?"

"Just a few pets from the local human village." Daian said with a frown. "No one I didn't recognize."

"Ah." he responded, then looked at someone out of her line of sight. "No luck, guys. I guess we'll just have to move on."

The moment he finished saying it, another whole group of dogs came up to him from the same direction, and he turned back to her as she tensed up, not being used to having this many unknown males around.

"Forgive us for disturbing you then, miss." Toraji said with a courteous nod, then started to turn away.

One of her male pups, though, who always had been very curious, leapt forward with his tail wagging.

"Mr. Toraji!" he called, and when the dog turned back said. "Do you **really** deal with bad dogs? I mean really ugly, nasty dogs?"

"Jonasu." Daian scolded. "Don't pry."

"It's all right." Toraji said with a laugh. "Yeah, kid, I do. We all do."

"What's it like? How bad are they?"

"They're pretty bad guys." came the answer. "Not the kind you want to grow up to be. There's one I know who actually **ate** another dog alive!"

Daian gasped softly, shocked that Toraji would say something like that to a pup. Before she could say anything though, Jonasu jumped in again, his two sisters looking just as fascinated at his side.

"Eww!" he said making a face. "How do you know?"

Toraji flashed him the same disarming smile as before.

"Because he was my cellmate." he said.

Daian went numb. She looked up at the Beauceron, who now smiled back at her with a glare that looked very predatory. She took a step back.

"What?" she said, certain she had heard wrong. "B-But you said – "

"I said I was from Keji." he said, his voice suddenly cold. "I never said I worked there."

Trembling, Daian reached up and pushed her children back behind her roughly, all three of them complaining, looking confused as to what was going on.

"P-Please," she said in a shaky voice. "We don't want any trouble. We just want to be left alone."

Toraji tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck.

"I wanted that once too." he said. "Ask me how it worked out."

Then, after studying her for a moment, he looked down at the ground.

"I'll make you a deal." he said. "Tell me where the Ohu army resides these days and you'll never see me again. Cross my heart."

"Ohu?" she said, startled. "They're up in Futago Pass. They have been since that war of theirs ended."

"All of them?"

"W-Well, last I heard, a few of them were traveling down near here somewhere, including Gin himself. That's just a rumor though."

"Tell me," Toraji said, glaring unblinkingly at her. "Is one of them named 'Great'?"

"I-I don't know." she answered.

He nodded, then smiled again.

"See?" he said. "That's all there is to it. You did good!"

"So you'll let us go?"

"No." he said bluntly and she froze again.

"But y-you said – "

"I said you'd never see me again." he responded as the other 5 dogs with him walked slowly into the cave at her. "I never said that me leaving would be the reason why."

"P-Please…!"

"Sorry." he said with a snort. "Witnesses and all that. Nothing personal."

Then he turned and walked away, hearing loud screams and whines of agony erupt from the cave behind him, the voices big and small amidst the snarls. Looking north, Toraji kept his pace steady, his blood-spattered comrades swiftly falling in behind him, their work done. He gritted his fangs, the face of an old friend entering his mind.

"Nothing personal." he repeated.

* * *

Great yawned, stretching as he awoke to find that the sun was already up, shining its new light down onto their backs. The rest of the group was still asleep, he saw, and he gave a silent snort as he looked over at them. He, Smith, and Wilson had met up with Gin and the others shortly after they had crossed into the Yamanashi territory, and from there they had made their way Northwest into the Nagano Prefecture, a large area that none of them knew very well. While he and his two companions had been fine, though, Gin and the others had looked exhausted, and the moment they entered the territory, they had stopped for the night to sleep, flopping to the ground and dozing off right after Gin had told the three of them that they would reveal what happened to them tomorrow. The Great Dane had accepted this, and had taken the opportunity to see if anything had changed since they had last seen each other.

Ever since Gin had taken over Ben's position back when they were gathering soldiers for the war against Akakabuto, Great had felt like something of an outsider. They were his friends, sure, but they seemed to get along better with each other than with him, and only Smith seemed to talk to him much anymore, which meant that he had to check up on them himself, making sure that they were okay without them telling him anything. Part of it was just the platoon leader in him still asserting itself, he knew, but another part of it was sheer curiosity. While the whole group had seemed tired, they appeared otherwise to be quite normal, and in fact had seemed to be a good deal happier than they were when Great and his group left. They talked to each other more frequently now, which was in stark contrast to the time right after they'd left Ibaraki, and each seemed to be making a distinct effort to boost their morale. What shocked him, Smith, and Wilson the most though, was their newfound acceptance of Zach, the group's "prisoner".

The last Great had seen, the Malamute had been hated pretty much by everyone, and had returned their animosity in an even greater amount. Now, though, the others seemed to get along with him quite well, and though they were still stern to him on more than one occasion, reminding him that he **was** still their prisoner, they didn't snap at him almost at all anymore, and included him in their group discussions. Perhaps most surprising to him though, was the relationship Zach now had with John. Out of all of his friends, Great had assumed that John would be the one who would hate Zach the most, and would end up fighting with him at every turn. Instead, they seemed to be getting along surprisingly well, and though they **did **seem to constantly bicker and weren't exactly "friends", Great could tell it was all in good fun and that they were no longer out to hurt each other…most of the time anyway. Just before they had all gone to sleep, he had seen the two of them teasing each other like old comrades, and he silently wondered what the hell **had** happened to the group in Kanagawa that had brought them so much closer together.

Shaking his head, the Great Dane stepped carefully over the sleeping Wilson and moved silently off into the trees that surrounded where their group had decided to stop and rest. There was a small stream a few hundred yards in this direction, he knew, and it was perfect for quenching his thirst before they moved on. As soon as he reached it, listening instinctively for any presence besides his own, he bent down and lapped at the cool water, still blinking sleep out of his eyes as he did.

"There you are! I was wondering where you went."

Great whirled around toward the voice with a grunt of surprise, falling into the water as he did. As soon as he found its source, he frowned with an irritated snort. Smith stood on the bank of the stream right behind him, smiling amusedly at his comrade's antics and looking thoroughly pleased with himself. Great scowled slightly.

"Smith, you pest!" he said. "Next time warn me."

"But then I wouldn't have gotten to see that." the Setter grinned, then leaned down and lapped at the water as well. "Cool off. I came to tell you that the others are waking up. We should be heading out pretty soon."

Great nodded, stepping out of the stream.

"Got it." he said.

Then he turned and sat down on the steam's bank, looking up at the sky as if examining it. Smith turned back from where he had started to walk away, having noticed this.

"Hey, what's with you recently?" he asked with a concerned frown. "You've been acting all brooding ever since we left Gajou. Why?"

The Great Dane shrugged.

"Lot of thoughts just going through my head I guess." he said. "This journey's not much of a soldier's work."

"Maybe not." Smith responded thoughtfully. "But it's necessary. They **were** our comrades after all."

Great nodded, only half listening to him.

"Remember the old days?" he asked suddenly and the Setter looked at him in confusion. "Back when it was just you, me, and Ben as the Boss's platoon leaders? A couple subordinates each and that was it?"

Smith gave a snorting laugh.

"Yeah." he said. "God, that feels like a lifetime ago."

"I think we're getting too old for all of this." Great grinned, standing again.

"We're only like 6." Smith said with another laugh, standing as well. "Besides, if **we're** old, what does that make Ben…or Akame?"

"Younger in mind than in body." came a new voice and the duo turned to see the Kishu striding up, an amused smile on his normally stoic face.

He stopped and gestured with his head.  
"Everyone's up." he said. "The leader wants to leave immediately."

Great nodded and so did Smith.

"Let's go then." he said, and they followed Akame back through the trees to where everyone else was waiting.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to move out after that, and soon enough, the 9 of them had moved further into the Nagano Prefecture, Gin keeping the pace steady at the front with John and Akame. Great walked in the middle of the group, and kept his eyes open for any sign of trouble that might pose a threat to the leader's safety. That was, after all, his primary job as a direct subordinate, and he took it seriously. Next to him, Chutora looked up at his three friends leading the way.

"There's no one we need to give condolences to here right?" he asked and Gin shook his head.

"No." he said and it sounded almost relieved. "Once we get past this territory, we need to stop in the next one."

"Which is?"

"Toyama."

"Can we go home then?" Kurotora asked sarcastically from the back of the group and the Akita chuckled.

"Don't I wish." he responded, but suddenly, Akame stuck his paw out, stopping him.

"What is it?" Smith asked from behind them, having nearly walked into the Kishu.

"Blood." John growled softly, having smelled it too. "From right up ahead."

"Everyone at the ready." Gin said and they all obeyed. "Let's check it out."

With Gin and John at the front, the group slowly walked into the clearing they had just been about to enter. They could smell humans not too far from where they were, but the stench of blood was coming from a small cave on their right. Glancing at each other, Akame and John stuck their heads around the edge of the rock wall and looked into the dim inlet, inhaling sharply in shock seconds later.

"It's clear." the Kishu said, then rushed into the cave quickly, Gin right behind him.

When he saw where the smell was coming from, Gin too let a small gasp. The remains of a female Labrador and her 3 small pups lay decaying on the stone floor in front of them, their bodies torn into pieces and scattered to every corner of the cave. Zach nosed at one of the dead pups.

"Who the hell kills kids?" he asked in a disgusted voice and Kurotora stepped up next to him, looking around at the carnage with a similar expression.

"A real fucking coward, that's who." he said, and then looked at Smith. "Smith, you're the tracker here. Any sign of whoever did this?"

Great didn't hear how Smith responded, as he was busy sniffing around the area himself, looking for any sign of the killer. Suddenly, he caught a new scent and stopped in his tracks. It didn't belong to anyone there, and yet…it seemed familiar.

'I know that scent.' he thought. 'Why do I know that scent?'

It was at that moment that a shape lunged from the tree line outside and collided hard with Wilson, tackling him to the ground with a snarl and making the others whirl to look.

"What the – " Chutora started, but then another figure hit him as well and he was sent rolling with a grunt of pain, trying unsuccessfully to fight back as two more figures jumped on him and started ripping at his flesh.

Leaping into action, Gin lunged and head-butted the two figures off of him hard, throwing the third one into a tree as John and Akame tackled the fourth off of Wilson, slashing his shoulder with their fangs and sending him flying onto his side before leaping back next to their friends. Then the fight stopped as the two groups faced off, snarling angrily at each other. At the front of the other one was a German Shepherd, his fur a little lighter than John's, who bared his teeth at the Ohu soldiers.

"Show me your faces!" he spat. "All of you!"

"Come **make** us you god damn – " Kurotora started, but Gin cut him off, yelling:

"Everyone quiet!"

This made the Ohu dogs do just that and soon, the other dogs did as well. The leader looked at them warily. Then he turned to his subordinates and said:

"Wait! I think their just travelers."

"I'm Gin of Ohu," Gin responded, looking cross with the attack. "And you better have a good explanation for attacking my friends."

"The Ohu Army?" the leader said in shock, then bowed his head slightly. "Forgive us, we thought you might have been someone else. I'm Asher of Nagano. Our masters sent us out to track down the bastards who did this."

He gestured with his muzzle back at the cave and for a moment, Gin studied them. Then he tilted his head slightly in wary curiosity.

"You're police dogs?" he asked and the Shepherd nodded.

"Yeah." he answered in mild surprise. "We all are."

Gin nodded and looked at the group that was with Asher, who were all different breeds but looked highly trained.

"Apology accepted." he said, calming everyone down. "We just came across it ourselves. Who **was** responsible for that?"

"His name is Toraji." Asher said, a grave look on his face. "He and 8 other dogs escaped from a medical testing lab a few days ago. These murders bring their kill total up to 7. We've been tracking them ever since."

Great's stomach fell to his feet. His eyes went wide.

'Toraji?' he thought. 'Oh god! That's where I know that scent from! How the hell could I have forgotten?'

Gin glanced back at the cave.

"Well," he said. "I can't just let this be. Cowards who kill children need to be brought to justice. We'll help you get him."

"Thank you," Asher said, inclining his head at him. "But we can – "

Then, one of his subordinates nudged him and whispered in his ear. The police dog stiffened visibly and then looked over at Zach, an expression of shock and anger on his face. Then he took a step towards him and looked him right in the eye.

"What's your name?" he asked sternly.

Zach frowned in confusion.

"Zach." he responded. "Why?"

"You're from Ibaraki, aren't you?"

The Malamute looked taken aback and glanced over at his equally confused comrades.

"Yes." he said slowly. "But how'd you know that?"

Suddenly, Asher lunged like a bullet and tackled him onto his back, startling everyone there as he seized him by the throat and started slamming him hard into the ground.

"You murdering son of a bitch!" he snarled and Zach choked as he tried to throw him off, caught totally off guard.

John and Akame beat him to it though and grabbed Asher with their jaws, yanking him off and throwing him back at his group moments later. After rolling a few times, the Shepherd was back on his feet instantly, but Gin jumped in front of him as well, growling in his face.

"Enough!" he barked. "If you're a police dog you should know better than to act like this!"

Asher didn't back down an inch.

"We know what happened in Ibaraki!" he hissed as his and Gin's subordinates growled at each other once more. "My cousin disappeared there 2 months ago and never came back! I demand that bastard be taken into custody **now**!"

"He **is** in custody." Gin replied flatly. "Ours. He's our responsibility, not yours."  
Asher shook with rage.

"Do you know what he **did**?" he asked angrily and Akame stepped up as well.

"Of course we do." he said. "We're the ones who caught him to begin with. With all due respect Asher, it's much safer for him to go with us than with you. **We** can handle him better."

Gin looked the Shepherd in the eye and lowered his voice.

"Please." he said. "We didn't come to fight with you. We're offering to help. Let us."

Asher looked reluctant for a minute, but then nodded slowly, muttering a half-hearted apology as soon as he did.

"Very well." he said. "Follow us. We'll take you back to where our masters keep us and then we can talk."

Then he walked up to Zach, growling warningly right in his face.

"But I'm warning you, you piece of shit." he threatened. "This area is still **my** responsibility. So if you so much as **look** at someone in a way I don't like, I will personally rip your balls off and shove them down your throat so you choke to death on them! Got it?"

Zach stared at him for a second silently, then shot him wide, mocking smile, a little blood still seeping down his neck from the attack.

"That hurts my feelings." he smirked and Asher snarled loudly at him again, but Akame quickly stepped between them.

"Stop!" he barked sternly. "This isn't the time or the place!"

"I agree." Gin said, walking up. "Asher, let's go to your base so we can talk about what's going on."

Then he turned to Zach with an irritated scowl.

"And Zach," he said, not bothering to sound courteous. "Don't be a jerk."

The Malamute snorted with a grin and John glanced over at Gin as they all fell in behind Asher, who had started to lead them out of the clearing.

"Don't bother Gin," the Shepherd said, shooting Zach a teasing glare. "I think that's his permanent state."

"I learned from the master." Zach responded.

"Not the master**mind**?"

"Hey!" Gin barked, glancing over his shoulder. "I said knock it off, you two!"

"Oh come on, Gin!" Kurotora quipped from the back of the group. "Listening to them fight is the most fun we've had on this depressing trip!"

Though it took effort to fight off an amused smile of his own, Gin shook his head.

"I think we're about to have bigger issues to attend to." he said. "So this can wait until later."

Then Asher and his group rounded a curve in the path and the Ohu Army followed, disappearing over a hill as soon as they had.

* * *

Toraji cracked his neck again, clenching his teeth together angrily as the dog beneath him let out a gurgling sound, choking slowly to death on his own blood as it seeped into his mangled throat. It was the one cowering in front of him that he was angry with though, and his eyes focused on her again as he looked back up.

"I'm going to ask you," he said in a slow, malevolent voice. "One last time: **Where** are they?"

"I-I don't know!" the female, a Spitz, said. "We never saw them, I promise! Please don't hurt us!"

The Beauceron narrowed his gaze, and his voice rose slightly.

"Babe," he said. "I have not yet **begun** to hurt you. But if you do not tell me where they went in the next 15 seconds, I am personally going to skin this kid alive IN FRONT OF YOU! NOW WHERE ARE THEY?"

"I d-don't **know**!" the Spitz sobbed, watching as her small pup whined and cried between the jaws of one of the attacking dogs.

Suddenly, another dog stepped forward, this one a young male Dalmatian.

"Wait!" he said and Toraji's head whipped to him. "I saw a group of dogs heading out our territory into Nagano yesterday! It might have been them!"

"Was one of them an Akita?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Kid," Toraji said, walking right up to him and narrowing his gaze again. "You better not be lying to me."

The Dalmatian cowered a little, stumbling back a few steps towards where the bodies of most of the other males of his pack lay in a pile.

"I'm not, I swear!"

"Are you sure? 'Cause those who do tend to meet rather unpleasant ends."

"I p-promise!"

The larger male nodded, his face unreadable.

"So it's back to Nagano is it?" he said out loud to no one. "Fine then. Let's go!"

The last words were to his pack, and one, a heavily scarred Tosa, stepped forward.

"Sir," he rumbled. "What should we do with them?"

He gestured to the remaining dogs that were still there and Toraji only glanced at them for a second before looking back at him.

"I direct you back to that talk we had this morning, Katsuro," he said. "About **witnesses**."

"Is that really necessary, Toraji-san?"

The Beauceron walked back to him, getting uncomfortably close and glaring into his eyes before half-whispering his response.

"I didn't spend 2 years getting **tortured** in that place, and dreaming of only one thing the whole time, to have it all unravel because we were careless. I am getting my revenge, Katsuro…one way or another. Now **kill** them."

"Yes sir." the Tosa replied and turned back to their captives.

The screams and howls that came moments later, could be heard for miles.

* * *

The building that Asher and his pack were based out of wasn't nearly as far away as some of the Ohu Dogs had thought it was, so they didn't have far to walk to get there. It was, however, fenced off, and while every dog there could've probably found a way in, Asher chose to remain outside its borders, right on the edge of the forest where the humans wouldn't notice them. As soon as they got to this spot, the Shepherd turned and sat down, his fellow police dogs doing the same nearby. Gin sat across from him, and as the others followed his example, they saw Asher nod over his shoulder at a relatively unassuming building that was isolated from the rest in the town. It also had fencing, they saw, but this time, there was barbed wire mounted on top. Asher looked back at them.

"That's Keji." he said. "It's where they escaped from. It wasn't our job to guard them while they were there, but it **is** our job to get them back now."

"Why were they in there?" Akame asked and the Shepherd looked at him.

"It's not a pound or prison, despite what you might hear." he said. "They were test dogs, used for experiments and things like that. Lake Kurobe's a couple miles outside of town, and the humans use water from it to help make the liquids they inject them with. That's why the building's right there."

"Wait." Gin said, sitting up straighter. "Did they consent to it?"

Asher paused, looking at one of his subordinates uncomfortably. When he turned back to the Akita, he looked almost ashamed.

"No." he said.

Kurotora growled slightly and so did John.

"So you messed with them anyway?" he said angrily. "What the hell right did you have to do that?"

"Look," Asher said with a sigh. "I may not agree with everything that goes on in there, but it's our duty as dogs to obey our masters. Besides, these **are** dangerous dogs. I put every one of them in there for a reason."

"And how much of their being dangerous is your masters' fault?" Gin asked, sounding almost accusatory.

Before the Shepherd could answer though, a tiny form leapt out from behind one of the trees, startling the whole group. It was a young German Shepherd pup, only 3-4 months old at the most, and it immediately growled at Gin.

"My dad's a good dog!" it yelled at him. "Don't you insult him!"

The Akita looked a little taken aback by the pup's sudden appearance and courage, but before he could reply, Asher leapt to his paws.

"Jerome!" he said sternly. "I thought I told you to stay home!"

The pup wagged his tail as he looked at the larger dog.

"I wanted to see you working, Dad." he said, but Asher bared his teeth angrily.

"When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it!" he yelled. "Now **go home**!"

Jerome looked hurt, and Gin saw his eyes begin to water a little. Then, nodding slightly, he turned and started to lope sadly away. The Akita silently disapproved of Asher's handling of the situation, but knew better than to get involved in a family dispute. To his surprise though, the older Shepherd sighed and walked forward, stopping his son with a paw.

"Jerome," he said gently as the pup turned his head away. "I'm sorry. I know I said you could watch me, but there are 9 really bad dogs running around somewhere who would like nothing more than to hurt you because you're my son. I don't know what I'd do if that happened."

Jerome nodded again, and buried his face in his father's leg. Smiling at him affectionately, Asher nosed at the top of his head.

"Come on now." he said. "Go on home. You can come another time."

The pup looked up at him.

"You promise?" he asked hopefully.

"Cross my heart." Asher said, and Jerome wagged his tail happily.

Then, with a nudge from his father, he ran off back into the town, Gin and the others smiling silently after him. As soon as he was gone, Asher's smile faded again.

"Toraji used to say that whenever he'd kill another dog." he said, turning back to them. "'Cross my heart'. I feel almost dirty using it with my son."

"He seems like a good kid." John replied and Akame nodded next to him. "Brave. I'm sure it doesn't matter to him."

Asher nodded his thanks.

"He wants to be like me when he grows up." he said. "But I'm not sure I want him dealing with dogs like Toraji, whether it's their fault they're that way or not. He doesn't know what they're really like."

"I think someone else does though." Smith suddenly said and when they all turned to him in confusion, they saw him looking at Great.

The Great Dane stiffened a little, looking cross with him.

"What are you saying, Smith?" he asked and the Setter didn't miss a beat.

"I'm saying I saw that look on your face when Asher mentioned Toraji's name back at the cave." he said. "You know him don't you?"

Great remained silent, feeling very angry with his friend, but sensing the eyes of everyone there fixed on him. Finally, he sighed deeply and looked at the ground.

"Yes." he said simply. "I knew him. A long time ago."

Gin looked both concerned and wary.

"Why didn't you say something sooner, Great?" he asked and the golden furred dog looked away ashamedly.

"Because I think it might be my fault that he ended up in Keji in the first place." he said.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then Chutora exchanged a look with his brother, an expression of shock on their faces.

"What do you mean it's your fault?" he asked. "How do you even know this guy?"

"I'd like to know that too." Asher said, stepping forward with a half-suspicious frown.

Great clenched his jaws and sighed again. Then he looked at Smith.

"You probably don't even remember him Smith." he said. "He joined right after you and I did."

"Joined what?" the Setter asked.

"The Ohu Army."

There was a collective gasp from everyone there and John leaned forward incredulously.

"Wait." he said. "This bastard was one of **us**? There's no way!"

"This was before any of you were even there." Great said, looking at him. "At the time, it was just me, Smith, and Ben as Riki's platoon leaders. Toraji was one of my subordinates."

"So what happened?" Akame asked in a calm but curious voice.

Great looked away, and seemed for a moment to be trying to find the right words to answer.

"The Boss had just started sending us out to recruit more soldiers for the fight against Akakabuto," he said. "But in those days he would order us platoon leaders, and we would then send out a couple subordinates to go where he wanted us to go. One day, he ordered some of us to head south to recruit followers, so I sent Toraji. He was basically my right hand dog at the time."

"Wait." Smith cut in. "The Beauceron?"

Great nodded and the Setter smacked the ground lightly with a paw.

"I **do** remember him!" he said. "God, I forgot all about him!"

"So did I." Great replied, sounding uncharacteristically shaky.

Smith and the others froze again.

"Wait." he said, frowning. "What?"

"Right after I sent him out," Great said. "Dozens of new dogs joined us within a week. A few days later, you and John showed up, Gin. Then Riki said he was sending **everyone** out to get strong males to join us and you know what happened after that. With all that was going on I just…forgot him. It was like he had never even existed…"

Smith put his paw on his head, looking at him in shock.

"Great…" he said in a disappointed voice but Gin looked over at him sternly.

"Smith, enough." he said quietly. "I'm sure he feels bad enough already."

"No, leader." Great said after a pause. "This is my fault. Thank you standing up for me, but…he was my responsibility. It should be my job to put a stop to him."

Asher stepped forward, looking just as shocked by the revelation as the rest of them.

"Toraji's not the only dangerous one." he said. "They all are. And even if what you said was true, this is still our jurisdiction. We're not just sitting this out."

"No one's suggesting you do." Akame said, but Great stepped forward.

"I'm the one he wants." he said with an almost irritated look. "Let me deal with him."

"He hates me just as much as he hates you." Asher said, not raising his voice for once. "Trust me. He even threatened to kill my son a few weeks ago when I went to see him. I respect what you're saying, Great, but he's not your subordinate anymore. He's **my** responsibility. Just like that **thing** is all of yours'. I can't let you fight him alone. I'm sorry."

He had nodded disgustedly in Zach's direction when he spoke, and for a moment, the Malamute opened his mouth angrily, as though he wanted to retaliate somehow. At the last second, though, as if he knew better, he closed it and looked back down at the ground silently, choosing not to respond. As Gin mouthed 'Thank you' over in Zach's direction for his decision to avoid a fight with the police dog, Great sighed, scowling slightly as he realized that Asher wasn't about to back down.

"Very well." he said. "But you follow my lead."

This seemed to satisfy Asher and he nodded at the Great Dane in response. Then he turned back to the rest of them.

"My pack needs to rest for a while before we move out and look for them." he said. "You can do the same if you wish."

Gin nodded, looking over at his friends as he did.

"Mmm." he said. "That's a good idea. We'll do that."

Then, he stood and walked over to where Kurotora and Zach had lay down, John, Akame and the others joining him. Once he was there, he lay down as well, resting his head on his paws as John and Wilson talked quietly about something. On the edge of the group, Great did the same, guilt filling him from nose to tail as Smith looked concernedly at him from a few feet away. The Great Dane ignored him. Seconds later, he closed his eyes.

* * *

On the hill overlooking the town, a group of dogs silently stood and watched the soldiers of Ohu and their new allies rest themselves for the job ahead. They too were tired, having come from a neighboring territory at a grueling pace, and some of them panted exhaustedly as they waited for their leader's order. Everyone knew that he wasn't about to let them rest, not when they were this close, and sure enough, he called for action immediately, an excited quaver in his deep voice as he looked piercingly down at the sleeping dogs.

"Katsuro," he said, cracking his neck with a smile. "I think it's time. **Take** them."

The other dog nodded and began to stalk forward towards the resting Ohu Army, his comrades at his side. Suddenly though, as if he'd changed his mind, Toraji turned and began walking in another direction, silently heading towards the town. Confused, one of his other subordinates called after him.  
"You're not coming with us, boss?" he asked.

The black-furred dog glanced back.

"I'll be there eventually." he said. "Engage those Ohu bastards without me. There's one more thing I need to do first before I get to them."

"What, sir?"

"Let's just say…" he said. "That there's a promise I need to keep to an old friend…before I get to the other."

Then, with these cryptic words spoken, Toraji walked away, leaving his subordinates staring after him. Finally, Katsuro turned away with a snort, and panned his brutal gaze to the building sitting a few hundred yards away instead. Behind him, Toraji's other subordinates turned as well.

"Are we going to attack, sir?" asked the dog who had spoken before and Katsuro shook his head.

"No." he said. "Forget the Ohu mutts. It's the dogs of this place who kept us here, caged us like beasts. Let Toraji get his own damn revenge. I want mine."

The others sniggered behind him, telling him that their feelings were the same. Katsuro felt a bloodthirsty grin spread over his muzzle.

"Come on." he said. "Let's see how they like it when the inmates run the asylum."

Then the group of them ran off, no one noticing them leave as they did.

* * *

When Great awoke, it was to the sounds of a commotion around him. As he had done only that morning, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, but this time shot to his feet at the ready. Looking around, he saw that everyone else was already awake, and as he looked at them, he saw Gin's head turn his way.

"What's going on?" he asked intensely and the Akita noticed he was awake.

"Something's happening over at Keji." he said. "We're heading out now."

Then, Asher was at his side, his whole group behind him.

"We're ready." he said. "Let's move!"

"Lead the way!" John barked and the other Shepherd nodded and ran towards their destination, everyone following in his wake.

As they approached the lab called Keji, Great could hear the sounds of a fight before he saw it. When he did, he and the others all skidded to a halt, their eyes sweeping over the scene. Dogs of all kinds were fighting in the building's grassy courtyard, and a number of bodies already lay dead there, some bloodied beyond recognition. On the side of the building itself, a large door had been knocked clean off it's hinges and more dogs were pouring out from within it, still more exploding through windows to its left and right. Before either Gin or Asher could give any kind of command, John spoke up.

"Look!" he growled.

When Great followed his gaze, he saw a group of 9 dogs or so running away from the lab, howling and snarling…and headed right at the town.

"That's Katsuro!" Asher shouted above the din around them, gesturing at the group with his muzzle. "He's Toraji's right hand dog!"

"There are innocent dogs and humans down in that town!" Akame added, looking at Gin for support. "We need to ensure their safety leader!"

The Akita nodded immediately.

"We have to stop those dogs now! Let's go!"

"Gin wait!" Smith barked. "What about this right here? We can't just leave it like this!"

He had gestured to Keji and the chaos around it when he spoke, and for a moment the Akita looked conflicted, realizing that he was right. Then, Zach stepped forward.

"I'll deal with this." he said intensely, nodding at the laboratory. "You handle them."

Gin pulled back in obvious surprise, as did the others. This was clearly the last thing they had expected.

"Zach…" Gin said. "Are you sure?"

The Malamute licked his lips.

"Hey," he said. "This Toraji guy is your problem, not mine. And these guys need my help more than you do. I'll put these bastards back in their cages."

"By yourself?" John asked with a skeptical, but almost concerned look. "Against **all** of them? You'll get killed, kid!"

Zach grinned at him toothily.

"Oh ye of little faith." he said and the Shepherd gave an amused snort.

"Fine then," he responded, shooting him a return half-smile. "Impress us."

Zach nodded and Asher turned to his troops.

"All of you!" he yelled. "Stay here with him and contain this! And make sure **he** doesn't make a run for it!"

The Malamute scowled at him, but then Gin spoke up again.

"We'll be back to help when we're finished!" he said. "We'll meet you here!"

"Not if I meet you first." Zach replied and Gin gave him an almost proud nod of approval.

Then he looked at the others.

"Let's go!" he yelled and then took off after the fleeing dogs, the others following closely behind him.

Watching after them, Zach waited until they were out of sight before turning back to the brawl in front of him, which was slowly breaking up into two opposing groups as more guard dogs arrived to help put a stop to the fighting. The test dogs, however, had control of the building itself, and as Zach and Asher's subordinates stepped forward to the front, glaring at the snarling, swearing group opposite them, they realized that they needed to stop them from escaping beyond the compound's grounds if everyone below was to remain safe. Then one of Asher's subordinates turned to a guard dog standing next to them.

"Where are the humans?" he asked and the other, a Doberman, glanced at him.

"The ones inside are dead." he said. "But a couple ran down to the village to get help. For now though, it's just us."

"Perfect." Zach said without looking at them. "That makes things much, much easier."

Suddenly, a large Irish Wolfhound stepped to the front of the other group, leering at them.

"Get out of our way you human loving fucks." he said. "We've got some payback to deliver."

"It's time," Zach responded as the dogs around him dropped into battle stances. "For you to go back to your little cages. Scum like you who hurt innocent dogs don't deserve the gift of life. The world'll get along just fine without you in it."

"You don't want to mess with me, boy!" the Wolfhound hissed angrily. "Do you know who I am? They call me the "Devil of Nagano"! You're 1000 years too young to fight me!"

Zach smirked.

"Really?" he drawled in a thoroughly mocking voice. "Well isn't that a coincidence. They call me "The Mastermind"."

The Wolfhound snarled in fury.

"Kill them!" he screamed. "Kill them all!"

Then his group charged, teeth bared and ready. On the other side, Zach and his group did the same. The fight was on.

* * *

Gin pumped his powerful legs hard as he closed in on the escaping group. They were nearly upon the town, and though mostly everyone had fled indoors, the Akita could see a few pet dogs still chained in the back yards of some houses on the outskirts, howling in fear as they saw the brutal escapees charging their way. He couldn't let them die! Suddenly, one of the dogs, who was faster than the rest, made it to the closest yard and leapt over the fence, snarling loudly as he bared down on a young female Shiba Inu, who screamed in terror and tugged uselessly at her leash.

Putting on a burst of speed, Gin made a flying leap of his own, jumping clear over the other dogs of the group, who stopped in surprise, and grabbed the attacker right before his fangs closed down on the female's face. As the dog let out a startled growl, Gin threw him hard back over the fence and right to the waiting John, who grabbed him by the throat and ripped it clean out, spraying everyone nearby with blood. Then Gin turned and bit through the female's leash.

"Ma'am," he said urgently. "Please get inside with your owners! We'll handle them!"

"Thank you!" she gasped, and the Akita leapt back into action.

The first thing he saw was that Katsuro and his pack had abandoned their attack and turned to fight, engaging his friends and Asher on the grassy field they had just sprinted across. Kurotora was locked in combat with a large Rottweiler, and the two dogs slashed at each other furiously, blood flying through the air as they each landed hits on the other. Akame, meanwhile, was dancing around a Kai dog, dodging bite after bite before leaping in and slashing open his neck and face, finally subduing him permanently by breaking his back on a large rock, slamming him down on it with a sickening 'CRACK'. Nearby him, Chutora had already dispatched his opponent and Asher was rolling around with what looked like a Doberman, their jaws a blur as they bloodied each other up. Right as Gin saw John bite the front leg clean off a Mastiff, who collapsed with a scream of agony, he was hit hard from the side, and only just managed to leap away from a second attack as he landed miraculously on his feet. He saw that his attacker was a Tosa and immediately knew that it was Katsuro. The test dog was livid.

"I let you alone before!" he snapped furiously. "But now you've interfered in our fight, and for that I'll slaughter you all!"

"Take your best shot, coward." Gin spat back, and soon they too joined the others in combat.

Over at the edge of the group, Great saw Gin engage Katsuro, and knew that the Tosa had no idea how little of a chance he stood against the younger dog. Turning back to his own fight, though, he dodged a bite from his Greyhound attacker and retaliated by slashing him so hard across the face with his sharp fangs that his opponent pulled back with a scream, blinded completely in one eye. As the smaller dog stumbled backwards, Great knocked him onto his back and stomped down on his neck, immobilizing him. Then he leaned in.

"Where's Toraji?" he growled angrily and the Greyhound whimpered.

"Don't kill me!" he pleaded in a frightened voice.

Great snorted.

"Answer my question and I'll let you go." he said. "I won't even follow you. You're not the one I want anyway. Now **where** is Toraji?"

The Greyhound nodded at the town.

"H-He went in there!" he answered. "He wouldn't say why. It sounded like he was after somebody though."

Great looked at the buildings and narrowed his gaze. What was the Beauceron doing? He had to end this. Looking down, he stepped off the Greyhound, watching him roll to a sitting position seconds later. Glancing back at him, he looked him in the eye intensely.

"This is the only second chance you're getting." he said. "Don't blow it."

Then he turned and ran into the town, unseen by everyone else except his former opponent, who turned as well and was gone.

* * *

Jerome pressed himself harder into the grass of the police station's courtyard. He had heard the fight start up at the laboratory and he instantly wanted to run to find his father. After all, he was scared, and after his mother's death, his father was the only person he had left to comfort him. The image of him getting hurt by one of the bad dogs entered his young mind again and he whimpered, trying to will Asher to come home safely. Suddenly, he heard a 'CLANG' and looked over at the courtyard's outer fence, which the humans used to keep him and the other dogs inside the station's boundaries. There was nothing there. Mentally willing himself to be braver, Jerome stood from his laying position to get a better look. Then something landed right in front of him with a dull 'THUD', and the young German Shepherd stumbled backwards in surprise. Once he regained his balance, he looked up. Standing over him, glaring down with a horrible grin on his face, was a large black-furred dog, who was easily as big as his father. Jerome squared himself off to the intruder, looking very insignificant next to him.

"Who are you?" he said, trying to sound fierce.

Toraji's grin widened as he heard it, and he licked his lips at the young pup.

"Your worst nightmare, kid." he said. "Yours…and your fathers."

Then he lunged forward, and Jerome tensed up in terror, not even having the time to howl for help.

* * *

John let out a grunt as the dog he hit fell, his body twitching as blood poured morbidly out of the gaping wound where his face used to be. Then he was still and the German Shepherd looked over at his comrade on the ground, now being helped up by the Kai Brothers.

"You all right, Smith?" he asked and the Setter nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "Thanks for the assist."

"Heh. Don't mention it."

Then he looked over at Gin, who stood over the motionless Katsuro. The Akita was barely even panting to catch his breath, and John silently marveled at his friend's endurance. Then he saw Akame walk up to Gin and he moved forward as well.

"Leader," the Kishu said. "Are you okay?"

Gin nodded slowly.

"I didn't even hesitate that time." he said. "I thought I would. Especially after Heizo."

John smiled at him supportively, looking down at the dead Katsuro as well.

"Well done, Gin." he said. "You made the right decision. Now he can't hurt anybody else."

Gin smiled back at him appreciatively, but then Smith stepped forward.

"Gin," he said. "I thought I saw Great run into the town during the fight. He must have seen something we didn't. We should go after him."

"I agree." Asher said, sporting a fresh swollen eye, "Maybe he saw Toraji."

"Why would he have gone in there, though?" Chutora asked with a frown. "If Great was over here with us and he's the one he wants, why go in there?"

"He has a point." Wilson said, and for a moment, no one answered.

Then Asher's face went slack in horror and his head whipped over towards the town.

"No…" he breathed. "Oh shit, no…"

"What is it?" John asked intensely and the other Shepherd turned to him, looking terrified.

"He hates me just as much as he hates Great." he said. "I said it before, remember?"

When the Ohu dogs looked confused, he added:

"My son's down there!"

Gin felt panic seize him as he realized that the police dog was right, and before he could respond, Asher had already taken off running down the street as fast as he could move, Smith and Wilson in hot pursuit.

"Let's go!" the Akita shouted and they all turned to follow their friends as well.

Then Gin heard Akame call his name and he paused.

"What is it, Akame?" he asked, a touch of impatience in his voice.

"I'm going back to Keji to check on Zach." the Kishu said and John turned and looked at him as well.

"Good idea." he said. "That pride of his could get him killed without one of us there."

"It's not just his safety I'm worried about." Akame responded, fighting back the urge to remind his friend how much his own words also applied to him.

"What do you mean?" Gin asked with a frown and the Kishu turned to him.

"I don't trust him, Gin." he said bluntly and the Akita looked surprised. "When he's with us, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but in fight? Against dogs like these? There's no telling what he might do."

Seeing that he had a point, Gin nodded quickly.

"All right." he said. "We'll go after Great and meet up with you later! Be careful, Akame!"

The Kishu nodded with a fleeting smile and them leapt away, seeing his friends do the same out of the corner of his eye as they took off the other way after Asher, Smith, and Wilson. Once he got going, it didn't take Akame long to get back to within visual distance of the besieged laboratory and he put on a burst of speed as he saw dogs both standing and lying motionless around the outside of it. As he reached it and skidded to a halt, he saw guard dogs and Asher's remaining subordinates helping each other away from the building, supporting those who were injured and licking their wounds as soon as they got clear. In the courtyard, there were no more fights going on, and it seemed that the escaped test dogs had fled. Zach was nowhere in sight. Akame turned to one the dogs nearest him.

"The Malamute who came with our group," he said urgently and the dog turned to him. "Where is he?"

"He went inside." he answered, wincing at a fresh slash in his side. "The rest of the escapees retreated back in there. He went after them."

The Kishu nodded at him and turned to run at the building as well, but suddenly, he saw a figure emerge from its gaping front entrance, walking almost casually away from it. Akame stopped. It was Zach, he saw, and as the Malamute looked up and noticed him, the ninja dog saw a small, satisfied smirk on his face that made his danger instincts go wild. Seconds later, before Akame had any time at all to react, Keji exploded, erupting in a massive fireball that knocked him painfully onto his back with a dull 'THUD'. Though his ears were ringing slightly, Akame was back on his feet in seconds, and his face quickly became a mask of shock. For a second, he gaped at what was left of the building, a twisted, ravaged wreck burning vividly against the afternoon sky. Then he turned and looked at Zach, who had just pushed himself back to his paws as well, still wearing the same expression as before. Akame leapt up to him, feeling angrier than he had in a long time.

"What the hell did you **do**?" he hissed and Zach frowned slightly at him.

"I ended the fight." he responded, panting. "We lost a bunch of good dogs out here to those bastards, and they weren't giving up. So I spared them the decision. By the way, did you know that those liquids the humans inject you with in these places explode when you burn them?"

"They wouldn't surrender so you killed them **all**?" Akame barked furiously at him, ignoring his sarcasm.

Zach turned his full attention to his comrade, suddenly looking almost cross.

"We needed to ensure the innocent dogs' safety!" he said. "Your words!"

"Not like **this**!" Akame responded. "If you have to kill an enemy, you do it honorably! In fair combat! And even then, it's only when you **have** to!"

For a moment, Zach just stared at him. Then he looked back at the burning laboratory and smirked again, turning at the last second back to Akame.

"Whoops." he said tauntingly.

That's what made Akame finally lose his temper. The ninja dog prided himself on being able to keep his emotions in check and always remain professional, but there were times when he found he just couldn't, and though they were rare, this was one of those times. Startling one of the retreating guard dogs nearby, he lunged and tackled the surprised Malamute, who ended up on his back for the second time that day with the Kishu standing atop him, snarling down into his face angrily.

"You listen to me you sadistic little brat." Akame growled softly, clearly startling the younger dog with his sudden ferocity. "This is the last straw. I thought you were getting better, that the good male I **know** is in you somewhere was finally coming out, but obviously I was wrong. And this is the last time that's going to happen. You hear me? This is the **last** time. From now on, you're going to train with me. I am personally going to teach you how to be a great male, or I am going to beat the **life** out of you trying. From now on, you do not hurt a single strand of fur on anyone's head without my expressed permission, bad or otherwise. And yes, I **will** be watching you. Now let's go!"

Zach looked completely taken aback by the change in his comrade and as Akame yanked him roughly to his paws and half dragged him back towards where Gin and the others had gone, he didn't even speak a word, not knowing what to say.

* * *

Great whipped his head back and forth as he ran through the deserted streets of Asher's town. All the humans had gone indoors, and the dogs that were outside were just pets chained in yards, most of them cowering behind whatever was nearby out of fear of being seen by any escaping test dogs. As a result, when he found Toraji, wherever he was, it would be nigh on impossible for the Beauceron to hide from him. Great didn't expect him to do that, but still…he was glad for it anyway. As he reached an intersection in the road, his nose suddenly caught his enemy's scent, and he quickly lowered his head to track his movements. But, and he paused, there was another scent there as well, and for a moment, he didn't recognize it at all. Once he did though, Great's eyes went wide and he took a step back to better survey the area. The violent test dog had gone after Asher's young son, Jerome. He remembered the police dog's insistence that Toraji hated him just as much as Great, and the Great Dane hadn't believed it for a second until now.

'I have to stop him!' he thought. 'That kid has nothing to do with this. He can't even defend himself!'

Following the scent trail down a side street, he soon found himself leaving the town altogether and heading up into the mountainous area behind it. Great clenched his jaws. This could not continue. It was time for this madness to end.

* * *

Jerome squirmed and whimpered as he dangled from the stranger's jaws. His attacker's teeth dug painfully into his back and stomach and he found quickly that he was completely immobile, and therefore couldn't escape. Eyes tearing up slightly, he tried to look at his black furred kidnapper.

"L-Let me go!" he demanded. "I don't want to go with you! Let me – "

"Shut up." came the sharp, cold-voiced reply, and Jerome's fear intensified.

They had walked a long way up into the hills behind the town, and none of Jerome's cries for help had been noticed along the way. Now, they had just approached Lake Kurobe and his mind raced as he tried to think of a way to call his father. There was no way he could fight off the older, larger male, and it was looking more and more like he wasn't going to be released. Letting out a little growl, he squirmed again.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked desperately, and to his surprise, the dog responded.

"To show your father what it feels like to fall as far as I did." he said bitterly, stepping onto a road that seemed to cross the massive lake. "Unfortunately for you though, kid, your version of that lesson is a little more literal."

Suddenly, he stopped walking and Jerome noticed two things: his kidnapper had reared up onto his hind legs…and the ground had suddenly disappeared beneath him. The little German Shepherd let out a howl of terror as he looked down. They were on top of Kurobe Dam, specifically the walking road that ran along its top, and his attacker was poised to drop him off the edge. Jerome nearly peed himself. The dam was over 600 feet high, and if he fell, if anyone fell off it, the chances of survival were nonexistent. He tried desperately to grab onto any part of the dog he could reach.

"N-No!" he begged, tears streaming down his young face. "Please! Let me go home! Please!"

"The world's a cruel place, kid." Toraji said, sounding even bitterer than before. "I know that better than anyone. Now so will you…for a couple seconds anyway. Don't take it personally, though. It's not your fault. You just got born to the wrong father."

"D-Don't do this! I don't want to die!"

Toraji half-smirked.

"It'll only hurt for a second." he said. "I give you my word."

"B-But – "

"Hey." Toraji said, and Jerome finally managed to twist and look at him.

The Beauceron grinned evilly.

"Cross my heart."

It was in that moment that Jerome knew, despite his youth, that he was going to die. Closing his eyes, he waited for the dog's jaws to release him, and when they did, he felt himself falling fast, and he had nothing to grab onto to stop himself. Suddenly, though, he hit the ground. Opening his eyes in confused surprise, Jerome saw that he was back on the paved walking road, and he silently tried to stop his trembling as his mind caught up to his body. Then he heard a snarling and, looking over, saw two dogs fighting viciously a few feet to his left. Finally, one, a golden-furred Great Dane, threw the other one off and looked back at him.

"Kid," he said urgently and gestured with his muzzle. "Run! Head back to the town!"

Jerome was very confused and only stood up, still trembling a little from his brush with death. The golden dog looked desperate.

"Kid, run!" he yelled louder, but suddenly, the black furred dog head-butted him hard in the cheek, sending him skidding perilously close to the edge.

"Fine." he growled, bleeding from slashes in his neck and muzzle. "I'll deal with **you** first, _sir_. Then I'll handle that little brat."

As he lunged, Great's paws found the ground again and he lunged sideways, grabbing Toraji as he did and throwing him backward towards the other edge of the walking road. At the last second though, the Beauceron clawed at its concrete lip and managed to catch it, pulling himself back to the flat ground quickly before his opponent could finish him. The two snarled loudly at each other and Great got in between Toraji and the pup protectively, seeing that he was too confused and too scared to move. He looked his former comrade in the eye.

"Toraji," he growled, glaring at him hard. "This needs to stop. You can't hurt this kid for what his father helped do."

"Sure I can." the Beauceron responded, lowering his head. "The bastard let them hurt me. He put me there to begin with! Now he'll know how it feels when it's his own flesh and blood being killed."

"I'll never let you near him."

"You know, Great," Toraji said, narrowing his gaze hatefully. "**You** hurt me too. You're the reason any of this is happening in the first place. You just threw me away…like old, rotten meat that can't be eaten anymore."

Great's gaze softened slightly, and a guilty look spread over his face.

"I made a mistake." he said softly and Toraji's eyes widened.

"**That's** your excuse?" he screamed. "You made a mistake? I got needles the size of my dick stabbed into my eyes every week and you MADE A MISTAKE?"

Great's ears reversed in shame, but he didn't let his guard down.

"Toraji," he said shakily. "I'm sorry. Truly I am. You can hate me all you want and I won't blame you, but this fight is between you and me. This kid has nothing to do with it."

Toraji let out a brutal laugh.

"I used to be such a great male." he said. "I used to have so much mercy. Not anymore. You were right, Great. This ends now. I will **never** forgive you for what you did, and I'm going to see to it that both of you die…together!"

At this, the Beauceron lunged at him, and Great could no longer stall. Letting out a ferocious growl, he lunged as well and met his former comrade in midair. There, their bodies collided violently, and Great immediately ripped at Toraji's neck and face with his teeth, feeling his shoulder getting slashed open as he did. Then they landed back on the ground and he immediately grabbed his opponent by the leg and threw him hard at the edge of the dam, feeling Toraji's fangs slash his face one more time before he let go. As soon as he did though, Great froze. It took him less than a second to realize in horror that he had mistakenly thrown Toraji right above where Asher's young pup still sat cowering, and sure enough, as he began to go over the edge, the Beauceron reached out and grabbed Jerome in his jaws…and pulled him over too.

"Shit!" Great yelled and without wasting a second to think, ran and leapt off the edge of Kurobe Dam as well, plummeting the moment his feet left the ground.

It was then that a series of near miracles happened, and as Great somehow managed to grab Jerome by the scruff of the neck and tear him from Toraji's grip, his hind leg hit the railing of a lower maintenance walkway and got wedged in it, bringing his freefall to a sudden painful end. As he got caught and his momentum ceased, Great heard a 'POP' and a shockwave of pain shot through him as his leg got wrenched clean out of its socket, nearly making him open his muzzle in a scream of pain. Instead, he kept his grip on Jerome desperately and groaned loudly in agony around his bite, watching as Toraji plummeted to his death 600 feet below, his own scream one of bitterness and frustration, before he went silent. At the same time, he heard someone calling his name, and seconds later Gin and the others burst out onto the top of the dam, their heads whipping around as they looked for their friend. It was Wilson who finally saw him and as soon as Great heard him call out in alarm, everyone else's heads peered over the edge and looked down at him.

"Holy fucking shit that's high!" Kurotora exclaimed and Great saw his head disappear as he pulled back from the edge.

Gin, however, leaned forward father.

"Great!" the Akita yelled fearfully down at him. "Hang on!"

Great nodded lightly at his leader, and he saw them start scrambling to find a way down.

"How the hell are we going to get down to him?" Smith asked urgently and John looked over at him, the same worried expression on his face.

"I don't know." he said. "Akame's the only one agile enough to get down there!"

"He should be on his way back right now with Zach." Chutora said. "Hopefully he can – "

Suddenly, a loud, blaring noise shattered the quiet and the Ohu warriors' heads whipped around once more as they tried to determine its source.

"What the hell is that?" Kurotora asked nervously and Asher, who stood next to John, looked nothing short of frantic.

"It's the warning siren!" he yelled. "The dam's about to release its water!"

"Shit!" John swore fearfully and Gin ran back to the edge.

"Great, hold on!" he shouted. "We're coming down to you!"

"Don't!" came the reply and they all stopped in their tracks.

Smith stepped to the edge next to Gin, hearing the others do the same beside him.

"What do you mean, 'don't'?" he asked loudly and the golden-furred Great Dane looked up at them, a strange look in his eyes.

"You'll never get to me in time." he said. "This water's about to release! You'll get swept away if you try and come down!"

"Great, don't be an – "

"I'm gonna throw this kid up to you!" he yelled. "Make sure you catch him!"

"If you try and do that, your leg will come loose and you'll fall!" Gin responded, and Great smiled at him almost gently.

"I know." he said.

"Great, don't do this!" the Akita begged. "Let us help you!"

"You can." the Great Dane said, and then paused, looking at them almost affectionately. "By remembering that Great died like real male…and by telling everyone that I never meant any of this to happen. I'm sorry, leader."

Gin's eyes started to water and he began to get more and more desperate as he looked for some way to save his friend. But he couldn't find one.

"It was my honor to fight with all of you." Great said, and everyone else began to tear up as well. "Do me a favor will you? Tell Ben…tell him…the answer is 'Yes'."

"Wh-What's that mean?" Chutora asked shakily and Great smiled again.

"He'll know." he answered.

Then he looked at each of them one last time.

"Goodbye." he said.

And before they could stop him, Great twisted and threw Jerome back up at them with all his strength, his leg coming loose as he did. Acting quickly, Gin immediately reached out as far as he could with his jaws and grabbed him, John holding his tail to keep him from falling. Then he pulled him back over and put him gently down on the ground next to his father, who hugged his son tightly to him with his front leg, licking the top of his head as the pup pressed into him firmly. Seeing that he was finally safe, the group looked back over the edge in time to see the water come rushing out of the dam in a torrent, the siren stopping its screams soon after. But that was all they saw. At the railing where their friend had been, there was only air and sunlight. Great of Ohu was gone.

* * *

Gin felt hollow as he stood in front of Asher and his remaining subordinates. He knew that he needed to be stoic and strong as leader, but every time he tried to do that, visions of Great entered his head, and his eyes teared up again. He wasn't alone though. It had taken them just as long to get back down to the town from Kurobe Dam as it had getting up to it, and they had met Akame and Zach along the way. The ninja dog had sensed instantly that something was wrong when he saw them, but that probably wasn't hard to deduce when every one of them had tears streaming down their faces. When Gin had told him of Great and Toraji's fates, the Kishu had winced openly and it was only thanks to the bad mood he had obviously been in that he didn't cry as well. Why Akame had been angry Gin didn't know, but truth be told, he didn't care. All he knew was that his friend was gone, and it had happened on his watch. Looking up, he saw Asher speaking to him again.

"Gin I…" the police dog said almost guiltily. "Thank you doesn't even come close to what I want to say to you, but…it's all I have. Thank you all for everything. Now we can start rebuilding the peace around here."

The Akita nodded.

"Of course." he said, though it was half-hearted. "It was in the interest of peace. We were glad to be of assistance."

Asher nodded at him, and then turned to Akame, who stood on Gin's left.

"I'm curious, though." he said with a frown. "What happened to make Keji explode like that? Akame, you were there. Did you see what did it?"

For a moment, the ninja dog paused. Then he glanced over at Zach, who, after meeting his gaze briefly, looked away firmly in the other direction, not saying a word to anyone. Then Akame looked back at Asher.

"No." he said. "I'm afraid not. It just seemed to happen."

Asher nodded, not looking as disappointed as they expected.

"Oh. Never mind then. I'm sure it was just an accident that happened in the chaos."

The police dog hadn't seen Zach give Akame a look of true shock upon hearing the ninja dog's answer, and he shook his head as if to clear the thought from it. Then he looked back at them.

"Tell me," he said. "Did Great have any family?"

Gin looked over at Smith, who shook his head slowly and didn't say a word, still shell-shocked by his close friend's death. Then the Akita looked back at Asher.

"We were his family." he said and the Shepherd nodded again.

"Then thank you again." he responded. "…Thank you for my son."

At that, Jerome walked forward from between his father's front legs, a look of awe on his face as he stared up at the Ohu Soldiers. Gin smiled, trying not to tear up again.

"You're welcome." he said. "I have a feeling he'll be a great male someday."

Then he turned to the rest of his friends.

"Let's move out." he ordered quietly and the sad, weary group turned and walked away, none of them looking back. Once Asher, his dogs, and the town were out of sight, Kurotora turned to Smith, who was walking beside him with an empty look on his face.

"Smith…" the Kai Dog said almost gently, recognizing his friend's pain. "That last thing Great said before he… That message for Ben…what did it mean?"

The others overheard this and turned to the Setter as well, knowing that he had known him the best and being interested despite themselves. Smith swallowed hard.

"Before we left Ohu," he said hoarsely, "Ben was telling Great that he was nervous about becoming a father. When Great tried to tell him that he'd do fine, I heard Ben ask him: "Would **you** have wanted me as your father"."

Then the Setter lowered his head and walked further on ahead, clearly wanting to be alone. As soon as he had, the others remembered Great's final one word message to Ben, and their ears and tails drooped sadly as they finally realized its meaning. Then John turned to Gin, and when he spoke, he spoke in a quiet, subdued voice.

"We're ready to head to the next territory when you are, Gin." he said.

Suddenly, the Akita stopped walking and everyone else stopped too, looking back at him in surprise.

"Leader?" Akame said, stepping up to him. "Are you all right?"

Gin looked up at him.

"No." he said. "None of us are. And after this, heading further South is just going to be harder."

Akame and John looked at each other in concern.

"Gin," John said. "Whatever you decide we'll do. We're with you no matter what. We can keep going South if that's your command."

"Yeah, leader." Kurotora said. "Just give the order."

Gin shook his head.

"We can deliver the rest of the condolences another time," he said. "My first priority as leader is to my own pack, and right now I think we've had enough."

He turned and looked at his loyal friends.

"Let's go home." he said.

Then, sticking close together, the Ohu Army turned and began heading north, their path taking them straight towards Futago Pass. At the back of the group, Zach of Ibaraki walked silently, and his gaze panned contemplatively to his companions as he wondered if the approach he had taken to protecting others all his life was actually the wrong one, and if Great of Ohu had had the right idea after all.


	5. Story 5: The New Beginning

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait, I had some bad writer's block (not a pretty thing) :). I wanted to do something a little different with this chapter and make it more light-hearted than the last few. I think I did pretty well, but I hope you guys agree. Hope you like it and as always, please review!

* * *

Kurotora sighed, stretching his neck as he walked behind John at the middle of the group, a combined feeling of guilt and restlessness growing in him with every step he took. It had been almost 3 days since he and his friends had left Nagano behind, and though he was happy to finally be heading back to Ohu, he was also still downcast over the recent death of Great, a friend whom he'd rarely talked to, but still cared for and respected nonetheless. The Great Dane's absence felt like a hole in the group, and every time he glanced behind him, he half expected to see the golden furred dog walking there as well, as if nothing had happened to change anything. That was a feeling that he hated, as it depressed him immensely, and that he was sure the rest of the group was experiencing as well, despite their attempts to hide it.

They had made their way North as they began heading back towards Gajou, but a few territories still lay between them and it, and they had crossed into the first one only that morning, the massive Niigata Prefecture. Every one of them had been to Niigata before, whether to fight enemies or just to pass through, but the territory itself was so big that there were still parts that were foreign to them, and the area they were traveling through now certainly qualified. Lots of brightly colored trees decorated the landscape, and though he had no idea what exactly resided amongst them, Kurotora was reminded strongly of his home territory of Kai, which he had not been back to in some time. It was because of this that he was actually secretly glad they were passing through Niigata, a feeling that his brother clearly shared from his position next to Wilson, and he was half-looking forward to seeing what else the territory had in store for them. Its beauty wasn't the only thing he had noticed though. Besides the overall feeling of depression permeating the group, a natural result of the death of a friend, he had sensed definite tension between a couple of his friends, specifically Akame and Zach. The two males were clearly angry at each other for some reason, and though he didn't have a clue what it was, the fact that it was Akame who was involved to begin with, and not John or someone else, perked his interest.

'Zach just has this way of getting under people's skin, I guess," he thought. 'Even someone as professional as Akame. He's even better at it than me… I must be losing my touch.'

Either way, he knew better than to get involved, and decided to let the two males settle whatever it was amongst themselves. He had other friends to focus on anyway. Up ahead of him, Smith was walking beside Gin at the front of the group, and was using his impressive tracking skills to try and find them the quickest route back to Ohu from where they were. It wasn't long, though, before the Akita turned to his friend concernedly.

"Are we still on track, Smith?" he asked and the Setter nodded.

"Yeah," he responded in his reedy voice. "And the sooner we get there the better."

"No argument from this corner." John snorted and Gin looked around at the scenery as Kurotora himself had done.

"At least this territory is nice." he said, and John didn't respond. "We could've gotten another Kanagawa."

"And wouldn't **that **have been a blast." Zach said sarcastically and the Akita chuckled.

"My thoughts exactly." he agreed with a smile and Kurotora turned back to the trail, relieved to see his friend manage some happiness despite the specter of death still looming over them all.

"What packs are even in this area?" Chutora asked and Wilson shook his head from beside him.

"Take your pick," he responded. "Niigata's home to at least 3 or 4. I don't know any of them personally though."

Kurotora shook his head at the Collie.

"How do you **know** things like that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "How many places did you **go** when you were a circus dog?"

Wilson smirked and kept looking to his front.

"A said few." he replied, then teased. "I just have a better memory than you."

"I think you have a better memory than God." the Kai dog quipped, but as Wilson and Chutora laughed, the group suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and he nearly walked right into John's rear end.

"What the – " he said, wrinkling his nose in irritation, "What's going on?"

"Shh!" Akame silenced him and he saw the ninja dog and Gin already dropped into cautious battle stances up at the front of the group.

For a moment, none of them said anything, and he glanced over in confusion at Chutora, who looked equally as confused.

"What is it?" the elder Kai whispered and John glanced back at him sternly.

"We're being watched." he said, looking around suspiciously.

That shut both the brothers up instantly and they listened attentively as well, but still no one heard a thing. Gin stood back up to his full height.

"We know you're there!" he called. "We're just passing through, that's all! We're trying to get to Ohu, not invade your territory!"

"Just passing through, huh?" came a voice suddenly. "Do you take me for a fool?"

Kurotora pulled back in surprise, not because of the voice's sudden entrance, but because it didn't belong to another male at all. Whoever the stranger was, they were definitely female.

Gin looked around more, trying to look non-threatening.

"I give you my word." he said. "As leader of Ohu."

Suddenly, something shot out from behind a tree in front of them, and seconds later other forms followed suit from all of the other trees around it. There were more than 30 of them in all, and before he or the others could say another word, they were completely surrounded. Then one of the newcomers stepped forward.

"**You're** Gin of Ohu?" she asked skeptically and he nodded.

"Yes," he said. "But who are you, miss?"

"My name is Amaya," the dog responded. "I'm the boss of this part of Niigata. And I prefer the title 'leader', thank you."

Kurotora felt his jaw slacken in shock. Amaya, he could see, was a purebred Kai-Ken like himself, and her striped, reddish-brown fur seemed to practically gleam in the sunlight shining through the trees as they stood there facing each other. On top of the clear confidence that seemed to resonate in her voice as she spoke, she was also quite beautiful, and Kurotora found his interest peaked in a major way. He was so taken aback by her in fact, that he almost didn't notice that she wasn't the only female there. When he finally broke his captivated gaze away from her though and got a better look at her pack, he pulled back in even greater surprise. Every single one of the dogs that now encircled them were female, all of varying breeds and ages, and they all seemed to be keeping a close eye on him and the others as they slowly cut off every possible route of escape. Kurotora could see his friends looking around at the strange group as well, and even Gin looked more than a little surprised that there wasn't a single male amongst them. Amaya must have noticed this, because seconds later she glared at them in irritation.

"Is something wrong?" she asked challengingly and Gin shook his head.

"No," he said quickly. "I – er – just didn't know there was a pack in this area."

"Well, there is," the female Kai responded. "And I'd like to know who you **really** are and why you're here."

"I told you," Gin said carefully. "My name is Gin. My friends and I are just passing through. We're trying to get back to Ohu."

Then he cocked his head slightly in curiosity despite himself.

"Forgive me if I sound rude," he said. "But…is all of your pack?"

"No," Amaya said, narrowing her eyes at him. "There are more elsewhere. And yes, before you ask, we **are** all girls, so you can tell your friends to stop checking us out."

Kurotora heard Zach snort quietly from in front of him as he looked around at their detainers.

"Happy birthday, Zach." he muttered, and the Kai dog had to bite his tongue hard to keep from laughing as Akame reached over with a paw and smacked him upside the head in response.

Amaya, however, wasn't as amused.

"Was I talking to you?" she snapped, glaring furiously at him. "No? Then shut your mouth!"

Zach straightened up a little, clearly taken aback by her aggressiveness and John grinned widely with a snicker.

"Well said, miss." he said. "I think that got the message across!"

She turned to him with the same expression.

"I wasn't talking to **you** either 'Rin-Tin-Tin'!" she spat. "This is between leaders!"

It was Zach's turn to laugh and John looked livid as he opened his mouth to say something back to her. Gin, however, beat him to it.

"I appreciate that we're strangers," he said crossly, "But there's no need to be disrespectful. For the last time, we only wish safe passage."

"I don't believe you!" the female Kai shot back. "I think you're working for Katsu, and I'm going to give you pigs everything you deserve!"

"Miss," Kurotora suddenly said, stepping forward before Gin could answer. "Trust me, he's telling the truth. I give you my word."

Amaya's gaze whipped over to him and for a moment, she glared at him intently. Then a look of genuine shock passed over her face.

"You – " she said, then paused. "You're one of those three demon brothers from Kai!"

Kurotora was caught off guard, but nodded anyway.

"Yes," he said. "I'm Kurotora."

Then he gestured to his friends.

"This is our leader Gin, John, Akame, Smith, Zach, Wilson, and my brother Chutora."

Amaya seemed to think for a moment, studying them closely, but then nodded and calmed down a little. Then she turned to her packmates.

"Stand down!" she called. "They're okay."

The other dogs did what she said immediately, and she turned back to Kurotora.

"My sister and I heard about you and your brothers when were growing up near here." she said. "You're famous among our kind. Actually, I've heard of most of you. I'm sorry about that, but I had to be sure."

"I understand," Gin said, stepping forward again. "But who's this 'Katsu' you thought we worked for?"

A scowl passed over the female Kai's face.

"A dead dog if I ever get my claws on him." she responded and when Gin looked confused added. "He's a local troublemaker whose pack moved into this area recently. He's kind of a wannabe mercenary but he's basically just a thug. We've been fighting him for a few months now."

"Why?"

"He and his pack want us to be their mates." she responded hatefully. "When we refused he started kidnapping us by force. My sister was taken two days ago…"

Kurotora growled angrily at the same time John, Smith, and Chutora all did.

"How cowardly!" the Setter hissed and she nodded in agreement.

"We all banded together in the first place because we were abused." she told them bitterly. "By humans or males of our own kind, it didn't matter. Either way, we weren't gonna take any more, so we decided to make a better life together as a pack. This is our territory now."

Then a dark look passed over her face.

"Not that that matters to Katsu, of course." she said. "He thinks we're his property. Unfortunately he has more dogs than us, and he's gotten more and more violent every time we fight back, but that's not going to make us lie down and submit. We won't be pushed around just because he's stupid enough to think that a female wouldn't fight back."

As soon as she finished saying this, she looked at Gin.

"But if you're really who you say you are," she said, "Then your help could be invaluable. I know I was rude to you before, but I ask you, one leader to another…will you help us?"

Gin looked at Akame and John and then nodded immediately once they had.

"Of course we will." he said. "Dogs like him need to be put in their place."

Amaya nodded a 'thank you' and Kurotora saw her smile for the first time since she'd revealed herself. It was undoubtedly in relief, he knew, but it still somehow made her look even more gorgeous than before, and he licked his lips excitedly. The female Kai then turned and gestured to them with her head.

"Come," she said. "We'll take you back to our base. We can discuss everything from there."

With that, she walked away into the trees, and Kurotora followed her alongside Gin at the front of their group, hearing the others tailing close behind as they waited to see where they were going.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to reach Amaya and her clan's home, a series of small dens set into a hillside, and once they had gotten there, the female pack leader had quickly brought them up to speed on the problems her clan was facing. Katsu, it turned out, was a St. Bernard that had originally come from the nearby city of Yamagata, but had been kicked out into the wilderness as a stray after apparently attacking other dogs and causing too many problems around its outskirts. Unfortunately, he had amassed a pretty sizable pack since then, and was capable of being a significant threat to all of their safety. What they **did** have to be thankful for, though, was that most of his pack was untrained in battle, and weren't used to fighting dogs that were better than them. If they played their cards right, Kurotora knew, the enemy pack would have a very hard time with the seasoned, more experienced soldiers of Ohu.

By the time they had found out everything they needed to know, night had begun to fall, and Gin had decreed that they would post guards around the base and rest until morning, a suggestion that Kurotora himself had no qualms with, as he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since Great had died. As he, Wilson, Smith, and Chutora found a comfortable spot and laid down though, he found himself instead watching the movements of their hosts, and let his eyes linger repeatedly on a few of them. Truth be told, after all the death he had witnessed since he'd left Kai, and the birth of Ben and Cross's young pups a number of months ago, Kurotora had been thinking more and more about possibly starting a family of his own. He had no idea how to be a father to anyone, but still, the Kai family line needed to continue on somehow, and given Akatora's tragic death at Akakabuto's claws, maybe it now fell to him to see that it was.

'But who would want to be **my** mate?' he thought. 'I'm not exactly the most agreeable dog, am I? Besides, is that what I really want?'

As the Kai dog's mind continued to wander, Gin, John, and Akame were settling down themselves off to his left, and laughed quietly at their friend's daydreaming.

"You think he's noticed that she's not the only female here?" John joked to Gin, seeing Kurotora staring absentmindedly at Amaya.

The Akita chuckled.

"With Kuro," he said. "You never know. What do you think Akame?"

The Kishu didn't answer and Gin repeated his name a little louder, making the ninja dog jump a little and look up at him apologetically.

"Lost in thought, Akame?" John said. "What's on your mind?"

"A number of things." came the answer and the Shepherd raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?" he asked again, slightly more insistently, but Akame turned his attention to Gin instead.

"Gin," he said, "Could you do without Zach and I for a couple days?"

The Akita frowned.

"I suppose." he said slowly. "But why?"

"I'm taking him out into the woods to train him as a soldier," the ninja-dog said. "And while I am, I need you all not to disturb us, or help him in any way."

John cocked his head slightly and looked at his friend.

"You've been pissed at him ever since we left Nagano, Akame." he said observantly. "What's going on between you two?"

"I'd like to know that too." Gin said with a slightly concerned frown, looking the Kishu in the eye.

Akame didn't miss a beat.

"What's going on," he responded seriously. "Is he butchered close to a hundred dogs in Nagano."

"WHAT?" Gin barked in shock and John echoed his expression. "When?"

"Remember when I told Asher that I didn't know why Keji exploded?" the ninja dog said solemnly. "Well…I lied."

Gin sighed deeply, grimacing in simultaneous anger and disappointment.

"God damn it, Zach…" he muttered and turned away from his two friends, looking as though he was thinking about what to do.

"Are you gonna punish him, Akame?" John asked in a serious voice and the Kishu looked at him.

"The training itself is harsh." he said. "It'll be punishment enough, trust me."

"Good." the Shepherd responded, and Akame turned to Gin, who had just spun back around to face them.

"Is that all right, leader?" he asked and the Akita nodded.

"Yes." he said. "Do what you will Akame. I trust you."

"Thank you." Akame answered gratefully.

Gin shook his head again, looking contemplative.

"I thought he was getting better." he said, then sighed again. "Maybe he really **is** beyond redemption."

"I don't believe that." Akame said and both of his friends looked at him in surprise.

"Akame?" Gin asked and the ninja dog looked at him sagely.

"He's **not** a bad dog, Gin." he said quietly. "Deep down, his motives are as pure as ours. The problem is the way he **acts** on them. **That's** what's wrong, what's twisted, because no one's ever been there to stand up to him and **tell** him he's wrong. No one ever taught him the **right** way…so I will. It's a lesson he needs to learn, even if it's a harsh one."

"He's been with us almost a month now, Akame." John said. "You've seen how combative he is. He's as bad as me. You really think he's gonna listen?"

The Kishu looked at his friend with a suddenly determined look.

"Oh, I'll **make** him listen." he said. "One way or another. I am **not** giving up on him just because he's a stubborn bastard. I'll make him the good male he should be."

Gin nodded at him with a confident smile.

"Good luck then." he said. "I look forward to seeing the results."

"As do I," John agreed. "Don't neuter him too much though. I need **somebody** to fight with on these trips of ours."

Akame and Gin both smiled in amusement, and then the ninja dog stood, looking again at his two friends.

"If you need us," he said. "Send up a howl, leader."

Then he turned and walked away, his tail swishing behind him as he vanished from their view. Gin and John watched him go, and then laid their heads down as well, intending finally to get some well-earned rest. To their right, Kurotora of Kai was still lost in thought, and found himself strangely restless as he vainly tried to close his eyes for a while. Right as he was about to finally succeed though, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and glanced over to see Amaya striding calmly into the woods away from them, no guards of any kind following her as she did. The Kai Dog silently praised his luck. Standing immediately, he padded quickly after her, making sure that none of her subordinates were watching him as he slipped unnoticed into the trees in her wake.

* * *

Chutora stretched himself as he stood. The nap he had been taking had been brief, but it had still helped relax him somehow after the stress he and the others had been under for the past few days. Blinking fatigue out of his eyes, he glanced over at where his brother was supposed to be and saw nothing but the ground he'd been laying on. Chutora smiled, knowing immediately where the other Kai Dog had gone.

'It's not gonna work out the way you want, Kuro,' he thought. 'I hope you're prepared for that.'

Shaking his head amusedly, he began walking towards the trees on the other side of their clearing, accidentally bumping Smith as he did. The Setter lifted his head sleepily.

"Where are you going?" he asked and Chutora glanced back at him apathetically.

"To take a piss." he said. "Don't get up on my account, Smith."

"Hmph." the Setter snorted. "Fine. Then I won't."

Chutora didn't acknowledge him and continued on into the forest, yawning as he did. He wondered what Kurotora planned to do when he found Amaya and smirked as he imagined the possible ways it could go wrong. He had been able to tell immediately that his brother liked the female pack leader and while he had to admit that she was definitely easy on the eyes, that kind of thing had never really been of great interest to him. Kai dogs were bred to fight, he thought, and they both had duties to Gin and Ohu. Neither one of them had really had time to think about mates or families.

"Help!"

Chutora's lone ear perked up immediately and he stiffened in surprise.

'What the hell was that?' he thought.

* * *

Kurotora stepped carefully around another tree, seeing the lithe shape of Amaya weaving between obstacles as she continued to move quickly away from her clan's base. He could hear water flowing somewhere nearby, and assumed that she was probably headed for a nearby river or stream to get a drink or some fish for the pack to eat. Sure enough, a small creek came into view moments later through the branches in front of him, and he saw her stop by the water's edge. He slowed.

'What the hell are you doing, Kuro?' he thought. 'Why are you following this…this…female?'

Kurotora scowled, mentally kicking himself for being such a coward. Before he could change his mind though, he emerged from the trees as well. As soon as he had, Amaya turned around and saw him.

* * *

Chutora ran towards where the sound had come from, whipping his head left and right as he looked for its source. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like a muffled, pained yell to his right and immediately changed direction to head towards it, his fangs clenched in concentration as he sensed for any danger around him. Then, as he emerged from between two trees, he saw what the noise had been. Fifty feet or so away, three large male dogs were dragging a lone female away from where the Niigata pack's base was, holding her muzzle shut so she wouldn't scream for help again, and biting her painfully on her already wounded neck as they did. She was thrashing and fighting mightily, he saw, but was badly outnumbered and was much smaller than her three attackers. Suddenly, one of the dogs slammed her head into a nearby tree with a painful sounding 'THUD'.

"Stop moving, bitch!" he hissed and Chutora snarled angrily.

That immediately got their attention, but by then the Kai dog was already moving. He slashed the one who had done it across the eyes with his claws and grabbed a second one by the side of the neck with his jaws as the first one fell with a yelp of pain. Then he jerked his head backwards hard and felt the dog's flesh tear loose in his grasp, hearing him whine loudly as a jet of blood shot into the air and he fell to the ground twitching. Seeing this, the third one immediately let go of the female and made a run for it, vanishing amongst the thick foliage as Chutora stood in front of the young victim protectively. He glanced back at her.

"Don't worry, miss." he said. "You're safe now."

"Actually, you're not." came a low, angry voice.

Chutora froze. The voice had come from right behind them and he silently cursed his carelessness. Whirling around, he tried to aim a bite at where he thought the voice's owner was standing. Instead, something smashed him across the face hard and he slumped to the ground limply as the female let out a howl of terror and all his vision went dark.

* * *

Kurotora watched as Amaya's eyes widened in surprise, and she stared at him in annoyance.

"What do **you** want?" she asked bluntly and the male Kai shrugged.

"Just to talk." he said, stretching his hind legs a little. "I'm curious how someone like you becomes a pack leader."

"Someone like me?" she repeated. "A female, you mean?"

He looked at her.

"A strong-willed one." he said. "One who's able to stand up to thugs like this Katsu while still leading a big pack. That's not something I've come across too much. It's impressive to say the least."

She snorted, smirking slightly.

"Thank you," she said, leaning down to lap at the water. "But don't waste your time. You're not my type."

Kurotora laughed with a shake of his head.

"Wow," he said sarcastically. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"No," she answered with a teasing smile. "You're just predictable. Figured you'd put the moves on the girl in charge, huh?"

The Kai-ken smirked.

"Hey," he said. "I'm a male, what can I say? Besides, you're not helping yourself by being – "

He stopped abruptly, catching himself, and Amaya looked over at him with a frown.

"By being what?"

"Nothing." he said, clearly embarrassed. "Nothing."

"Oh," she scoffed. "Now you've got my attention and you **don't** want to talk anymore?"

"It's nothing!" he snapped. "You're just…you…you look good is all."

Amaya pulled back a little in surprise and then gave him an almost flattered smile.

"Well aren't **you** the charmer." she teased and he flushed even more beneath his fur.

"Leader Amaya!"

Her head whipped immediately towards the sudden hail and one of her subordinates came bounding up quickly from out of the trees.

"What is it?" she demanded, and the dog, a Spitz, came to a stop panting.

"Leader," she said. "It's Katsu! He did it again!"

Amaya growled deeply in anger and took off running towards her base, Kurotora and the subordinate sprinting alongside her.

"Who did he take this time?" she asked seriously and the Spitz gave her a worried look.

"Emiko." she said. "It also looks like he may have taken one of Gin's packmates as well."

Amaya and Kurotora skidded to an abrupt halt and stared at her in horror.

"What?" the female Kai gasped, but Kurotora was more insistent.

"Who?" he demanded anxiously. "WHO?"

The Spitz took a step back nervously and glanced at her leader before responding:

"The other Kai dog who was with you. The brown one with only one ear."

Kurotora's stomach fell to his feet.

"Chutora…" he breathed, and without another moment's hesitation turned and took off at a full run towards the Niigata clan's base, hearing Amaya shouting behind him to wait.

Seconds later, he burst through the trees and immediately saw Smith walk up to him, Gin and the others awake and alert behind him.

"Kuro – " the Setter started, but the Kai dog pushed right past him.

"Where is he?" he demanded. "Do we have his trail yet?"

"Kuro," Gin said calmly, also looking worried despite it. "We're looking for the trail now. They won't get far."

"You're fucking right they won't get far!" Kurotora growled. "**Nobody** attacks my family! What the hell happened anyway?"

The others looked at each other for a moment before Wilson answered.

"It looks like Chutora stumbled across an abduction in progress." he said gravely. "When he tried to stop them it looks like he was ganged up on and taken too."

Kurotora snarled, his hackles rising in fury.

"Kurotora," John said, meeting his gaze. "Calm down. We're on it."

"Calm down?" the Kai dog howled. "This bastard took my brother!"

"We'll get him back." Amaya said, stepping up to him and he managed to get himself under control a little. "I promise. We'll get them all back, and Katsu will pay dearly for what he's done."

Kurotora nodded in vindictive agreement and looked around at his friends to check on their progress. Then he frowned in confused annoyance.

"Where's Akame and Zach?" he demanded. "Shouldn't they be here helping?"

Gin and John exchanged a glance.

"They…um…" Gin said slowly. "They had something they needed to take care of first."

"Yeah? Well they better get back here soon!"

Gin nodded, but then looked over his shoulder at the trees.

"I wouldn't count on it." he muttered quietly.

* * *

Zach padded silently after Akame as the ninja dog began walking faster, slowly getting further and further away from where they'd been. The older dog had approached him as he was settling down to rest and asked to speak with him alone, a request that Zach had agreed to, though he secretly wasn't looking forward to it. Out of all of his friends, Akame was the one he had probably the most combative relationship with, and he often found himself nervous around him. Sure, he fought with John constantly, but with him half the time it was just lighthearted teasing. With Akame, who was the only dog he'd ever met who was more cunning than him, it was usually the real thing, and now he wondered what talk was serious enough that they had to go so far out of their way to be alone together. He glanced up at the Kishu's furred back.

"Akame," he said. "We're getting pretty far away from Gin and the others."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Shut up and walk. We're almost there."

Zach didn't argue with him and soon enough, they emerged in a large clearing that seemed perfect for holding a large pack meeting of some kind. As soon as they entered it, Akame walked to the middle and sat down on his haunches, staring at Zach expectantly. Shrugging in irritation, the Malamute sat down as well, looking his comrade in the eyes as soon as he did.

"All right." he said in exasperation. "What is it?"

For a minute, Akame just stared at him quietly and Zach frowned when he got no reaction from the ninja dog.

"You **did** bring me out here for a rea– " he started.

"Hit me."

Zach blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"Hit me." Akame repeated, standing up. "Anywhere you want. If you land a single blow, you can go back."

Zach looked at him as though he was crazy.

"Why the hell would I want to – "

SMACK! Zach's head snapped to the side and he stumbled from the blow, looking up at the ninja-dog in shock moments later. Akame continued to stare calmly at him.

"I said hit me." he repeated. "You have five seconds or I do that again."

Zach growled. Then he glared at him.

"Fine." he said and quickly swung a paw at the Kishu's face, claws extended.

Suddenly, Akame was gone and he felt a sharp pain stab him in the side. Zach grunted as he fell sideways and rolled twice before coming to rest back on his paws moments later. Akame strode up calmly.

"Again." he barked and the Malamute lunged at him, aiming for his throat.

Akame leapt high into the air as soon as he did it and grabbed him by the back of the neck with his teeth. Then he twisted and slammed him down back first on the hard ground below, stepping away from him as soon as he had.

"You fight better than this!" he said bluntly. "Stop wasting my time!"

Zach pushed himself to his paws, growling angrily.

"Did you really bring me out here just to beat me up?" he hissed. "Have a little one-on-one time away from Gin?"

Akame turned back to him with a serious stare.

"I brought you out here," he responded. "To train you. To be a soldier of Ohu."

Zach gaped at him.

"You can't be serious!" he said and Akame walked right up to him.

"Do you know why I caught you?" he asked seriously and Zach scowled at him.

"I had a bad day?" he said through clenched teeth.

"No." the ninja-dog answered. "I caught you because I was the first person you ever met who was better than you. Every opponent you faced before then was inferior, and that's why you walked all over them without so much as a single consequence. But I'm **not** inferior to you, and from now on you answer to me. I'm smarter, faster, stronger, and have far more fighting experience than you, and until you learn to better yourself, you will never defeat me."

Zach snorted, looking thoroughly irritated.

"Your humility is inspiring." he said and Akame suddenly tried to smack him again with his paw.

Anticipating it this time though, the Malamute dodged the blow and quickly aimed a bite at the older dog's face…and hit nothing but air. Akame had ducked so fast that he had barely seen him move, and before he could make sense of it, he was upended and slammed face-first into the dirt once more as Akame settled back into the sitting position he had been in before. He looked at Zach patiently.

"Finished?" he asked coldly and Zach glared murderously at him, wiping gravel off his muzzle with a paw.

"What the fuck was that one for?" he hissed and Akame looked him right in the eye.

"That was for talking back to me." he said bluntly. "And every time you do it from here on in, I'll hit you again, each time harder than the last. From this day until I say otherwise, you are my student, and while you are, you will address me as 'sir'."

"Not even if you threatened me!" Zach spat.

SMACK! The Malamute spit some blood out of his muzzle. Then he met Akame's gaze.

"Ohhhh…" he said with a furious laugh. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? As much as an emotionless machine like you can enjoy something anyway."

"No," Akame answered simply. "I'm not."

"Then why are you doing it?" Zach hissed, and the ninja-dog stepped up close to him.

"Because it's the only way you'll listen." he said. "And it's the only way you'll learn."

Then the Kishu settled down onto his haunches.

"Now," he said. "This training is not going to be easy. And though I **will** teach you what you need to know, I won't help you otherwise. Whether you succeed or fail is entirely up to you. I warn you though: every 2nd time you fail at something you go a day without food."

"You can't do – "

"On top of that," Akame continued, cutting him off. "Every time you try and run, I'll knock you down and drag you back. And don't think for 1 second that I'm not every bit as stubborn as you."

Then he stopped talking and looked at the younger dog, and it was immediately clear that Zach was at a total loss for words. He gaped furiously at the ninja-dog, looking completely lost, and a second later Akame's gaze surprisingly softened.

"I'm doing this to help you." he said quietly. "This isn't only about punishment for what happened in Nagano. I'm trying to save your life."

"You said that once before." Zach growled. "The day you took me from my home."

"And I meant it then too."

"I am not **you**!" the Malamute yelled loudly. "I will never **be** you! Why can't you understand that?"

Akame didn't answer and waited patiently for him to continue, his senses telling him that Zach was finally revealing his true self. When the younger dog kept going though, his voice was just as angry as before.

"Believe me," he snapped. "I've tried! After Kanagawa, I saw the kind of dogs you really were and I tried to be like you, but I'm just not. I haven't lived your lives and you haven't lived mine, so how can you expect us to be the same? You all share a bond and a friendship with each other that makes you who you are, and I don't even know what that **feels** like. No one's ever felt that for me. You certainly don't."

He paused for a moment and sighed to calm himself a little. Then he looked at his white-furred comrade again and the jealousy and bitterness in his eyes were as clear as the cloudless sky around them.

"I did what I did," he said, "Because aside from all of you, I've never met another 'soldier' who didn't deserve to get wiped off the face of the fucking world. That's the way I see things, the way I've always seen them. Nothing else has ever worked, so what makes you think that **this** will work now?"

Then he stopped talking, and for a long time, Akame just sat and stared silently at him, his gaze a mixture of pity and disappointment. Finally he stood with a deep sigh and moved closer, sitting down beside the younger dog and looking him in the eye.

"I have **never**," he said softly. "Expected you to be us. You're right. You haven't lived our lives, or been through the things we have, and it would selfish of me to ask you to become something you don't understand. But despite what you said, what I **did**, and still do, expect of you, is to do what's **right**, to do what a real male would do, without stooping to the level of those you fight. Your way is the only one that's worked because you've never been taught another way, and if you keep going down this path you're on, Zach, the only thing it will lead you to is death. That's why I'm here to teach you now, because I don't want to see that happen. And I know that this will work because even though what I said before still stands, I'm willing to show you what that friendship feels like, to have faith in you when you clearly have none in yourself, despite all that sarcasm and bravado you show."

Then the ninja-dog rested a paw on his shoulder gently.

"You're not the monster you want the world to think you are, Zach…" he said kindly. "And I'm gonna prove it to you."

Zach stared at him wide-eyed for a moment after this, clearly caught off guard by the ninja dog's response, and seemed almost to be fighting back tears as he looked at the ground and darted his gaze back and forth, as if contemplating everything he had heard. Then Akame stood and walked a few paces away, looking back at him as soon as he reached the edge of the clearing.

"Training starts now." he said, "Follow me…and show me who you **really** are."

Zach nodded, and an almost undetectable smile formed at the corner of his muzzle as he looked at his comrade, a new determined glint in his eye.

"Yes sir." he said, and Akame returned the smile before he turned away, and they both disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Chutora growled loudly in agony as he was bitten again, this time on the stomach, and the two dogs responsible ripped and twisted at his flesh savagely as he was restrained, a whole group of their brutal looking comrades standing around watching the show without mercy. Above him stood the dog named Katsu, an ugly, heavily scarred St. Bernard who's drooping face couldn't hide the combined look of anger and nervousness that it wore.

"Who are you?" he spat again. "What the hell are you doing around my females?"

"The last dog you wanted to mess with, bastard!" the Kai dog hissed, wincing. "And they aren't **your** females. They don't belong to anybody!"

"They are MINE!" yelled the huge dog and stomped down on Chutora's groin with his massive paw, making the proud Kai dog cry out in intense pain before he was forcibly held down again. "And you will tell me who you are or I will spill your guts right now! Who the fuck are you?"

Chutora clenched his teeth. After being attacked in the forest, he had woken up in some sort of cave, and had immediately been leapt upon and restrained by half a dozen dogs while they waited for their leader to question him. This had taken quite a while, as Katsu had been busy raping the young female Chutora had attempted to save, and he had been forced to listen to the whole thing whilst trying to provoke the huge dog into leaving her alone, an endeavor that had not only not worked, but had backfired when he had managed to piss Katsu off enough to strangle her with a bite to the throat. Afterwards, the St. Bernard had stormed over to him from his inner cave, and had attempted to viciously torture the information he wanted out of him, and that was where he found himself now. He had absolutely no intention of telling the thuggish dog anything, and was biding his time until one of them made a mistake that would allow him to escape, hopefully with any kidnapped members of Amaya's pack he could find. After all, he was a proud Kai dog, and a soldier of Ohu. If he gave into bastards like these he would never be able to look Gin or the others in the face again. One way or another, he thought, he was getting out of here. He just hoped that he wasn't too injured to do it when the time came. Right as he was debating how to respond to Katsu's demanded question, a new voice made itself known.

"Boss!" it said, and Katsu looked up.

"What?" he spat.

"Juro just got back from spying on them, Katsu-san." the dog said. "There's more of these guys with Amaya's pack."

He gestured at Chutora when he said it and Katsu looked furious.

"How many?" he demanded.

"At least 5 or 6." came the answer. "And get this: he thinks one of them might be Gin of Ohu."

Chutora growled softly in frustration upon hearing this, and Katsu turned to look at him with an angry, wide-eyed stare.

"The Ohu Army…?" he breathed, then cracked his neck. "All right. Fine. So Gin wants to stick his nose in my business does he? Well, we'll see how confident he feels when I send you back to him in pieces. First though, I think it's time Amaya paid the price for being such a difficult little bitch."

With that, he nodded at two of his subordinates and they walked out of Chutora's field of vision, reemerging moments later dragging a thrashing, fighting female Kai dog between them. As Chutora saw her, he gave a grunt of realization, feeling his wounds still seeping blood painfully from his 'questioning' as he did. The dog he was looking at resembled Amaya in many ways, and in fact only her younger age and slightly longer ears differed from the other female at all.

'This has to be her sister!' he thought. 'The one she said had been taken.'

Katsu sauntered over to her and stared down with a leering glare, his brutal eyes seeming to cut into her as he did.

"Your sister is really starting to piss me off." he said. "And now, you're gonna have to pay for it."

"What's the matter, Katsu?" she taunted, forcing her head up to look at him. "Still too afraid to fight me one on one? I guess it's kind of hard to brag to these fools how you lost to a girl, huh?"

He smirked at her.

"I'm going to enjoy this." he said, but she had just suddenly noticed Chutora.

When she looked back at the St. Bernard, she looked angry.

"You're attacking strays now, you monster?" she growled. "Dogs that have nothing to do with this? It's no wonder no one wanted you in Yamagata."

Katsu laughed loudly in his deep voice and shot Chutora a disparaging look.

"Strays?" he snorted. "You two clearly have things to talk about. First though..."

He suddenly shot his head down and grabbed one of her ears in his teeth.

"This is to teach you and your sister a lesson." he said threateningly. "About remembering your place."

Then he jerked his head sideways in one hard motion and tore her ear clean off her head, spitting it onto the ground once he had. The female screamed in agony and Chutora thrashed furiously at his numerous captors.

"You coward!" he howled in rage. "She can't even fight back! You worthless piece of shit!"

Katsu whirled around and grabbed him by the throat with his huge jaws. Then he picked him up completely off the ground and shook him hard, smashing his head into the nearby rock wall on purpose and stomping down on his underside before tossing him limply over to where the female lay shaking in pain.

"Put them in the back cave!" he ordered his gathered troops. "And put a guard on them! I'm gonna go leave this ear where Amaya can find it. Oh, and if you run into any of Gin's pack: kill them."

Chutora growled softly in pain as he tried to catch his breath, feeling blood streaming down his forehead as Katsu and most of his subordinates disappeared out into the forest. Then he was grabbed roughly by the hind leg and dragged into a smaller back cave, hearing the female getting the same treatment beside him. Once inside, they were unceremoniously dumped near a wall and their captors stalked back out, leaving them alone with their injuries and each other. Chutora pushed himself up a little and lifted his head to look at his female companion.

"Are you okay, miss?" he asked quietly, wincing at his wounds, and when she looked at him, he could see tears streaming down her face.

"W-Who are you?" she whispered, clearly in pain, and he tried to look non-threatening.

"My name is Chutora." he said. "I'm sorry they did that to you."

She inhaled a shaky breath and shook her head slightly.

"It's okay…" she said softly. "I knew he would do something. I've managed to prevent him from raping me so far, but I knew it was just a matter of time before he hurt me somehow."

Then she looked at him almost quizzically.

"Are you really from the Ohu Army?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yeah." he said. "And my friends will find us soon. They'll have noticed I'm missing by now. Until they come though, we should start looking for a way out. You're Amaya's sister aren't you?"

She nodded almost shyly through her pained grimace.

"I'm Shiori." she said and Chutora smiled disarmingly at her.

"It's nice to meet you," he said, and watched as she clutched at what had once been her ear. "Here, hold still."

Leaning over, he pushed her paw out of the way and gently began licking the still bleeding wound, stemming the blood flow within seconds as he did. Though at first she was caught off guard, and growled softly in pain at the contact, Shiori eventually relented and leaned tiredly against him, letting him continue with what he was doing. Feeling his own wounds still throbbing painfully, Chutora looked around at their new prison.

'I hope you guys get here soon.' he thought. 'Because this could get really ugly really fast.'

* * *

'Curse this rain! Curse this god damn rain!'

Kurotora lowered his nose back to the ground as he searched once again for any trace of a foreign scent, his claws digging into the gravel beneath them in fury. Three days had passed since Chutora's abduction, and with each passing moment, Kurotora got more and more agitated. He had thought that they would be able to find his brother quickly and without too much trouble, despite the seriousness of the situation. After all, they were soldiers of Ohu! One lowly thug and his pack of troublemakers shouldn't have been a match for them. Katsu though, to his great disgust and worry, had managed to avoid detection anyway, and mere hours after they had begun their search, a torrential downpour had started and hadn't ceased since, washing away all traces of the St. Bernard and his pack with it. Further complicating things was the fact that Niigata was rife with places to hide, and every time they found what they thought was their enemy's base, they were disappointed to learn that it was old or had nothing to do with them at all. Kurotora growled. He wasn't the only one getting frustrated, they all were, but aside from Amaya, he stood to lose the most if something went wrong, and worried what might happen to Chutora if he were injured and went longer without help.

'I won't lose another brother!' he swore silently to himself. 'I can't!'

Suddenly, someone padded up next to him and he saw the silver form of Gin gazing back at him expectantly when he looked to see who it was.

"Anything?" the Akita asked, a worried frown etched into his young face.

Kurotora shook his head.

"Nothing!" he said. "Where the hell did this bastard take them?"

Gin looked over at his friend and rested a paw on his shoulder gently when he saw the expression of worry on his face.

"We'll find him, Kuro." he said. "I promise."

The dark-furred dog nodded with a sigh, watching as the Akita turned with a reassuring look and walked silently over towards Smith, who was busy searching for traces of their enemy a short distance away. Kurotora turned back to the woods around them, trying to keep himself at ease so he could think more clearly. He had never been very good at staying calm, and his comrades often had to invent new ways to keep his temper in check, something that he wasn't particularly proud of. Still, he couldn't just turn off his emotions, and now wasn't the time to perfect that particular skill. Hearing a noise to his left, he glanced over and saw Amaya barking orders to her followers, who were fanning out in all directions and taking the search just as seriously as he and his friends were. Despite what was at stake, the female Kai looked relatively unperturbed and Kurotora frowned in amazement, striding over to her moments later.

"How are you so calm?" he asked bluntly. "This bastard has your sister!"

She glanced over at him for a moment and then panned her gaze to the ground.

"I'm not calm." she responded. "I'm worried sick. But as leader I can't afford to let that show. My comrades rely on me. They need to have faith in my decisions."

Then she looked back at him in obvious concern.

"How are you holding up?"

"Not as well as you." he said truthfully, then shook his head. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if I lose Chutora. I can't go through that again."

"Again?"

He glanced at her and sat down on his haunches by her side.

"I lost my older brother Akatora during the war against Akakabuto." he said, feeling strangely vulnerable for opening up so much to her. "It took me a long time to cope after that. I thought it would be easy but…even now I see his face when I sleep. I miss him… I don't want to lose them both."

"Then you should try having some faith in him." Amaya said, and Kurotora frowned at her in confusion. "Chutora. If he's as stubborn as you are, then he should be able to survive Katsu easily."

The male Kai looked hurt.

"I **do** have faith in him!" he snapped indignantly. "I just…worry about him is all."

Amaya smirked at him.

"And you don't think he worries about you too?" she asked. "He's your older brother, that's what they do. If I'm not counting my sister out, then you shouldn't give up on him either."

Kurotora was a little taken aback by this, and silently wondered if he **hadn't** been trusting Chutora's survival abilities enough. Maybe Amaya had a point, he thought. Before he could dwell on it any longer though, he heard a voice calling through the trees.

"Amaya! Amaya-san!"

They both looked up together and Kurotora watched as the female pack leader immediately dashed off running towards it, her powerful strides taking her further away from him with each bound. He quickly followed her, the voice's alarmed tone unnerving him, and soon enough, he found her standing at the edge of a group of her subordinates, Wilson at their center. They were all gathered around something on the ground, and Kurotora frowned as he tried to see what it was. Beside him, Amaya was doing the same.

"What is it?" she demanded. "What's going on?"

As she tried to walk forward towards what they were looking at, Gin and Smith immediately tried to block her way.

"Amaya," the Akita said. "Don't – "

"Get out of my way." she said crossly, pushing past them. "What did you – "

Suddenly, she trailed off and Kurotora pushed his way forward to see what all the commotion was about. When he followed her gaze, his breath caught in his throat. Laying on the ground in front of them, partially covered by a leaf and surrounded by fresh blood, was a severed, red-furred ear, specifically one belonging to a Kai dog. He could tell immediately that it wasn't Chutora's and felt a wave of relief wash over him, but Amaya began to tremble seconds later, and he knew that it had to be her sister's.

"Sh-Shiori…" she said shakily, reaching a trembling paw towards it, and he lowered his head in concern.

"Amaya…" he started. "I – "

Suddenly, she turned and bolted off into the trees again, a howl of rage escaping her throat as Kurotora bounded after her once more.

"Katsu!" she screamed in a voice born of true hatred. "You bastard! I'll kill you for this! Where are you? Come out here and fight me you – "

As soon as he got close enough, Kurotora lunged and tackled her roughly to the ground, wrapping his jaws securely around the side of her neck to prevent her from escaping as he did. The two dogs rolled as they went down, and by the time they came to rest, Amaya had ended up on her back with Kurotora on top of her, his paws pushing firmly down on her shoulders to pin her to the ground.

"Get off me!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face, but he shook his head and kept his weight constant.

"No!" he barked, surprised at his own sudden clear-headedness. "Amaya, they need you! Your pack! Running off alone is exactly what he wants! Don't give it to him!"

"He hurt her!" she cried. "My sister! If he killed her I'm gonna murder– "

Kurotora suddenly leaned in and gently nuzzled the side of her face, feeling her press into it after a moment or two of uncertainty. For a few seconds, they stayed this way, but then she pulled him closer with her paws, shaking as she tried to calm herself, and he gave her furred cheek a tender lick.

"We'll find her." he said softly, echoing Gin's words to him. "I give you my word… We'll get her back."

Amaya nodded, her crying almost stopped, and he leaned back into the embrace, feeling a warm rush shoot through him as he did.

'I was right…' he thought. 'This **is** what I want… This feels right…'

Then, someone else came bounding up, and Kurotora looked up in time to see Smith skid to a stop, panting slightly as he did.

"Kuro," he said urgently. "We – "

Then he stopped and the Kai dog saw him pull back a little in surprise as he noticed what they had been doing. Moments later, a small smirk spread over the Setter's muzzle.

"Nice…" he said and the Kai dog growled, pushing himself off of Amaya.

"Smith!" he snapped loudly. "You better have good god damn reason for being here or I'll – "

"We found a trail!" the smaller dog said, backing up a little apologetically. "We may know where they are!"

Amaya leapt to her paws instantly, all sadness gone from her face and a new determination replacing it.

"Where?" she demanded, sounding like a leader again. "Show me!"

Smith nodded and gestured to them both with his head, and Kurotora bounded off after him, feeling Amaya running at his side as they headed back to where Gin and the others were already on the move.

* * *

Chutora listened closely as he lay on his side. Their guards were still right outside the cave and he suspected that they were planning on coming back in soon to carry out Katsu's orders…his execution. He didn't know how long he had been held captive, but he suspected that it had to have been a few days, his own hunger and the St. Bernard's predictable movements telling him everything he needed to know. He had planned to escape before, but his captors had wisely kept him as injured as they could to make sure that he couldn't go far, and he had only recently gotten some of his strength back. He still could've tried to get away before, he knew, but that would mean leaving Shiori behind alone, and that was something that was just not an option.

The female Kai had been his 'cellmate' ever since that first day, and he had been greatly impressed with her skill at preventing Katsu from raping her, which seemed to be his favorite thing to do with his female captives. Every time she was dragged out of the room for a private audience with the brutal dog, he would hear angry screaming and she would be tossed back in minutes later, usually with fresh beating wounds and a satisfied smirk on her face. Afterwards, it fell to him to clean those wounds, a favor which she had returned numerous times after Katsu had begun taking out his frustrations on him, and the more time passed, the more protective he seemed to feel towards her. He didn't quite understand it, but deep down he knew that had they been anywhere else, he would've wanted to take their relationship further, despite the short amount of time they had known one another. Now she lay on her side facing him, and as he felt blood trickling down from his neck and nose, courtesy of his latest punishment, he saw her look over at him.

"Chutora," she said softly, making sure the guards couldn't hear her. "You should go. You can make it now if you catch them off guard."

"Save myself and leave you here?" he replied. "Never gonna happen. I'd never be able to live with myself afterward."

"Please…" she pleaded. "They're gonna kill you. Go."

"Hey." he said, resting a paw gently on hers. "I'm not going anywhere, unless you come too."

She gave him a happy smile, and then looked at him affectionately.

"I'm gonna hate to see you leave." she said and he returned the smile.

"You're not gonna forget me are you?" he teased and she shook her head.

"How could I forget you?" she asked, meeting his gaze. "You're the first male I ever met who didn't let me down."

He felt a rush of affection for her, and then suddenly heard the approaching footsteps of the guards…his executioners. Shiori glanced over her shoulder and then looked back at him, her gaze suddenly sly.

"Ready?" she asked and he grinned toothily.

"Always." he answered.

Suddenly, the dogs came into the room.

"All right, bastard," one started to say. "It's time for you to di– "

He didn't even get the full word out, as Chutora suddenly shot to his feet without warning, Shiori doing the same beside him, and tackled him hard into the cave's stone wall, the impact causing a loud noise to echo around the small room. The dog let out a yelp of surprise, but then the Kai dog's fangs found their way to his neck and his whine turned into a gargling scream as Chutora bit down hard and ripped his throat free from his body, an explosion of blood following in its wake. Seconds later, a similar shriek of pain was heard as Shiori did the same to the other guard, dropping his limp body like something she loathed to touch as soon as she had. Chutora nodded at her.

"Let's go!" he barked and they quickly made a run for it, sprinting right past a couple more of Katsu's stunned subordinates as they leapt out the opening and into the light of the outside world.

Suddenly, he heard a roar of fury.

"After them!" the voice shouted. "Kill them, kill them, kill them!"

It was Katsu himself, back from burying the body of another captive, and Chutora immediately looked over at Shiori, who was struggling mightily against the pain from her wounds as she ran.

"Faster!" he snapped. "We gotta get back to Gin and the others!"

"I know!"

He pumped his powerful legs faster, trying as well to ignore the throbbing pain that shot through him with every step.

'Shit!' he thought. 'He's gaining! We have to move!'

It was no use. Katsu was in better condition and had longer strides, and before they knew it, he was right behind them, his fangs bared and ready to strike the death blow to both of them.

"You think you can get away from me? Let's see how you like **this**!" he snarled, and Chutora turned to take the hit himself and buy Shiori time to escape.

Suddenly though, a large shape came flying in from the side and hit the brutal dog to the ground as hard as it could, slashing his eye clean out of its socket as it did and making him hit a tree before coming to a stop. Then it landed in front of them and Chutora gaped at it in shock as Katsu pawed at his face screaming.

"John!" he gasped, letting out a relieved laugh as the Shepherd licked his chops and smirked at him.

"Get to safety!" he said. "Both of you! We'll deal with them!"

Then he turned and leapt away, and when Chutora looked after him in confusion, he saw Katsu's large pack all sprinting through the trees towards them, baying and howling battle cries as they ran. Right as they approached though, Gin and the others arrived as well and met them in a violent clash of bodies and fangs, and the battle was on. Suddenly, he saw Kurotora and Amaya run up to him, and the two sets of siblings greeted each other enthusiastically as they saw that everyone was all right.

"You had me worried, Chutora!" Kurotora said, clearly relieved to see his brother alive.

"What," Chutora smirked. "You didn't trust me?"

"I do now." came the answer. "Now let's show these bastards what happens when they mess with Kais!"

The other three all nodded in unison and then they leapt into the battle as well, slashing left and right at Katsu's struggling subordinates as soon as they reached them. Despite the fact that they were outnumbered, the Ohu Army and their new allies clearly outclassed their opponents, and very quickly the tide of the fight began to turn, with Gin and John leveling multiple dogs at once, and even Wilson taking out enemy after enemy as he fought. It seemed as though the battle had barely begun when already it was ending, and those of Katsu's terrified minions who were still standing began to make a desperate run into the forest, trying as hard as they could to get away from their much stronger opponents. Suddenly though, as the Ohu Army were all about to come together and regroup, Chutora heard a scream from right beside him and whirled in surprise to see Katsu standing there, his face bloodied and furious…and Shiori's throat between his jaws. The female Kai choked mightily and Chutora snarled in rage as he saw it, but Katsu growled and took a step back.

"Back off!" he spat. "All of you **back off**!"

He tightened his grip to prove his point and the group froze as Shiori's air was cut off almost entirely.

"Let her go, Katsu!" Gin threatened, stepping forward. "This fight is over."

"Never!" came the snarled answer. "You're all going to pay for this, you mark my words! For now, I'll just take her, but I'll be back for the rest of you! If any of you so much as make a single move towards me, I'll snap her neck! And I don't care how fast you are, Gin, we both know that you'll never be able to kill me before I do!"

The Akita narrowed his eyes angrily, stopping his advance, and they all watched as the St. Bernard continued to back away from them, biting deeper every time they tried to follow. Then the huge dog leered down at his captive.

"You wait until I get you alone, bitch." he rumbled. "I'm gonna teach you the meaning of respect…and pain."

"Ch-Chutora!" Shiori choked in fear and the Kai dog started to lunge forward.

"Ah ah!" Katsu snapped, holding her up again and biting deep enough to make blood stream from around his teeth. "Don't even think about it!"

Chutora froze in his tracks and the St. Bernard smirked at him.

"I'll tell her you said goodbye." he said.

The elder Kai brother growled in anger and fear as Katsu started to turn away, hearing Amaya doing the same beside him, and even Gin looked to be at a loss for what to do without endangering the female Kai's life. Suddenly, though, as Katsu was passing a tree with sharp, low-growing branches, the whole Ohu group saw a dark shape lunge out of nowhere from a branch high above and fly down at the huge dog with it's fangs bared and ready to strike.

"Raikaken!" it yelled fiercely and before they could even react, the shape landed on the back of the St. Bernard's head and slammed it down eye-first onto one of the sharp branches, leaping off to the side as soon as it had.

Katsu let out a long shriek of pain and dropped Shiori from his grip, pawing uselessly at the branch that had speared through him as she scrambled away to safety. As soon as they saw this, Gin and the others all ran forward as fast as they could, and Chutora quickly pulled her protectively to his side, getting safely between her and the thrashing Katsu as he did. Then they all finally got a look at the dog who had saved her life, and gasped in shock as they saw him.

"Zach?" multiple voices said at once and the Malamute nodded back at them, panting slightly.

Then he looked back up at the tree he had just jumped out of.

"How was that one?" he called and when they followed his gaze, they saw Akame resting calmly on another nearby branch, watching the scene with a teacher's careful eye.

"Much better!" he responded with a reassuring nod. "You did well. But it's 'Iga Ninpou Raikaken'. Not just 'Raikaken'."

Zach snorted.

"I'm not an Iga ninja." he said. "I go my own way."

Akame rolled his eyes and leapt down from the tree, landing gracefully beside him seconds later.

"No." he agreed half-teasingly. "You're **definitely** not an Iga Ninja."

The younger dog scowled and Gin and John stepped forward, both looking happy to see them.

"Akame," the Akita said. "I thought you would be gone for longer."

"He's made great strides." came the almost proud sounding answer. "He's a faster learner than I thought he'd be. I figured we could wait on the rest until we get back to Ohu, leader."

Then he looked at Zach.

"You still need a lot of work." he said. "No one becomes a great fighter in 4 days. But you did well, Zach."

"Thank you, sir." the Malamute answered, and when John blinked in surprise upon hearing him added: "You hear that, John? I did a good job. You've got some catching up to do."

The Shepherd snorted.

"I doubt it." he said with a grin. "That was about as graceful as a rock."

Before anyone could respond though, Katsu let out another howl of pain and they looked over to see him trying unsuccessfully to pull himself off the branch.

"Y-You motherfucker!" he yelled in furious agony, his whole body thrashing as he kept trying to free himself. "I'll kill you!"

"I know." Zach said sarcastically. "The world's not fair is it? Which is another way of saying: you'll live."

At that, Smith and Wilson walked over to the huge dog and carefully yanked him off the branch, dropping him to the ground as soon as they had. Then Gin looked over at Amaya, who still stood by Kurotora.

"Amaya," he said with a nod of his head. "This is your territory. I leave his fate up to you."

She looked surprised for a moment, but then panned her gaze to the pitiful looking St. Bernard, who's newfound blindness seemed to be disorienting him greatly as he lay on his side in front of her.

"I should kill you for what you did to us," she hissed angrily, and Katsu's trembling head whipped towards her voice. "For the good lives you took. But I won't. And do you know why?"

She leaned in towards him, Kurotora moving closer protectively.

"Because I'm not you." she spat and then stepped back again. "My subordinates will escort you back to Yamagata. If you resist, we'll take you by force. They'll know exactly how to deal with you there. Don't ever set foot in my territory again."

With that, she nodded at a small group of her soldiers and they all half dragged Katsu to his feet and began pushing him roughly towards the East, where Yamagata lay. Moments later, they were all gone from sight, and Gin nodded at her in approval.

"Well done," he said. "Leader."

She smiled slightly back at him.

"Gin," she said, "I can't thank you enough for helping us. Now though, it's up to us to rebuild the peace around here. With Katsu gone, maybe we can make our territory feel like a home again."

The Akita gave her a small nod.

"I'm sure that you will." he said kindly, "It was an honor to meet you."

"The honor was all mine," she replied. "Gin of Ohu."

Then she gave each one of them a nod and turned away, gesturing to her gathered subordinates as she did. They all immediately followed her, trotting away back towards their base, and for a moment, Kurotora looked torn, glancing back and forth between them and his friends even as Chutora followed after Amaya, supporting Shiori as he did and helping her to make it home. The dark furred Kai dog looked at Gin.

"Gin," he said almost apologetically. "I – "

"Go." the Akita smiled, nodding in the direction that Amaya had disappeared. "We'll see you back in Ohu when you're ready."

A wide grin spread over Kurotora's face and John smirked.

"Go get her, Kuro." he said and that was all the encouragement that the Kai dog needed.

Turning his head, he bounded after the Niigata clan, vanishing amongst the trees as well a few seconds later. Zach snorted and glanced at Akame.

"Typical." he said. "No love for the **real** heroes, right sir?"

Akame smiled amusedly and Smith looked over at Zach from the Kishu's other side as the group turned and once again began making their way North.

"You expected something from them," he asked. "Really? You weren't even here!"

"Oh come on," Zach grinned. "A 'thank-you kiss' at least would've been welcome."

Gin rolled his eyes with a smile and John snorted over at the Malamute.

"What self respecting female would stoop low enough to kiss **you**?" he asked, making Smith and Wilson chuckle and Gin chide:

"John!"

Zach just smirked.

"Jealous John?" he asked. "Scared that I might have kids before you?"

John let out a loud laugh.

"You and kids?" he said. "Now **there's** a disaster the world doesn't need!"

"Oh, and you think anyone will cheer having a little version of **you **running around?" the Malamute scoffed. "I think they'd rather chew off a testicle."

"What would you even **name** a kid?" the Shepherd snorted. "'The Master** Plan**'?"

Zach let out a bark-like laugh and put a paw on the other male's shoulder.

"Don't worry, John," he smiled tauntingly. "You'll always have your paw to keep you company."

"WHAT?"

Gin laughed despite himself and glanced over at Akame, who was shaking his head beside him as John bit repeatedly at the other male in fury.

"I guess some things never change, huh?" he grinned and the Kishu sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as the group began leaving the Niigata clan's territory behind.

"You have no idea, Gin." he said. "You have no idea."


	6. Story 6: The Pied Piper

**Author's Note: **I decided to post the whole thing in one chapter this time instead of multiple ones to see if it works. If it does, please comment and tell me, or tell me if I should go back to the other way. Either way, reviews are appreciated! :) Also, this chapter is kind of disturbing in parts, so consider yourselves warned.

* * *

Gin smiled widely, letting the familiar air of Futago Pass fill his lungs as he breathed it in with a contented sigh. It had taken the group of them the better part of two days to fully depart the Niigata Prefecture, but as soon as they had, he had begun recognizing the familiar sights and smells of Ohu, and his whole body surged with relief that their long trip was, for the time being anyway, over. With the departures of Kurotora and Chutora, whose endeavors to start families of their own were hopefully going well, the group had dwindled down to 6, but their decreased number didn't hurt his enthusiasm at finally being back in the place he had wanted to be in all along, and the others clearly felt the same way.

Smith appeared to have finally put Great's death behind him at long last, for which Gin was very relieved, and John's mood had taken a turn for the better as well, as the Shepherd hunted for the group's food voluntarily, and even enticed Zach into a lighthearted sparring match to kill their boredom while the others rested. He had won this play-fight of course, but Zach's rapidly improving battle skills had made it none too easy for him, and Gin had to admit that it had been exciting to watch the two go at it. He was glad that for the first time in a while, he didn't have any problems to solve or emotions plaguing his mind, and the closer they moved towards the Ohu Army's home base of Gajou, the better he seemed to feel. It was then that Gin saw something come up beside him out of the corner of his eye though, and he glanced over and saw Wilson matching his step, the Collie's face seemingly free of the worry and trouble that it had held only a few days before. The Akita smiled slightly and turned back to the path.

"Glad to be back?" he asked and Wilson snorted slightly, returning the smile.

"You have no idea, leader." he said. "I think it's high time we all had some real rest for a change."

"You took the words right out of my mouth." the young leader said. "Hopefully everything is in order when we get there."

From behind them, Smith spoke up before the Collie could answer.

"Ben and Cross were supposed to watch over things while we were gone, right?" he asked and Akame nodded from Gin's other side.

"Yes." he said in his normal calm voice. "It was better that someone with leadership experience remain behind to make sure things stayed protected. Ben was the perfect choice."

"I'm just glad he agreed to do it." Gin added, glancing sideways at his white-furred friend. "I know he and Cross have had their paws full raising their pups."

"This is quite the territory you lot have here." Zach spoke up from the back of the group, and the Akita glanced over his shoulder to see the Malamute looking around at the tall trees that enveloped them, a fascinated look on his face. "I'm actually impressed."

Gin felt strangely proud at the compliment, and Smith immediately voiced what he was thinking as well.

"You think **this** is nice," the Spaniel said, pride evident in his voice. "Just wait 'til we get back to our base."

"Speaking of which, how long before we arrive do you think?" Wilson asked, and suddenly they emerged from the forest they had been walking through and came into a large open area, a flat plain that ended at a wide canyon about 1000 feet away.

At the center, close to the cliff edge that led down into the canyon, stood a massive rock formation, a tower of large boulders and broken branches that looked almost like a monument to the dead that had fallen around it. It was Gajou. Gin looked at him again as John and Zach came up alongside them.

"I'd say pretty soon." he said and Wilson returned his grin as the group of them started forward towards it, their swift pace closing the distance quickly.

Around Gajou's borders, multiple dogs stood in various locations, and as soon as they saw Gin and the others approaching, one immediately shouted something inside the great structure and they all rushed to attention, gathering to meet their leaders as they arrived. As the Ohu group trotted to a halt, two older dogs emerged from Gajou's entrance, and Gin nodded happily at them as they approached.

"Gin," the one on the left, a white-furred, female Saluki, said. "You're back already?"

"We expected you all to be gone for another month." the blind but powerful looking Great Dane to her right added.

"Things have changed," the Akita said simply, but then smiled at each in turn. "Ben…Cross… It's good to see you."

"And you." Cross said, but then frowned slightly as she looked around at them. "Where are Kurotora, Chutora, and Great?"

Gin and John exchanged a look.

"The Kais decided to take after you and settle down." John said and the two looked surprised, but pleased. "They'll be gone for awhile. But Great…"

"We'll get to that later." Gin interrupted and their gazes panned to him. "Is everything here all right?"

"Aside from that storm that's approaching, everything's fine." Ben responded, gesturing off to their East, and when Gin followed his motion, he saw large black clouds gathering ominously for an imminent approach.

The Akita scowled in irritation, having not seen them before, and heard Zach snort from behind him.

"That figures." he said. "All this beautiful territory to look around and we get drowned in rain."

Ben and Cross both glanced towards him as they heard his voice and Gin saw simultaneous confused expressions form on their faces as they noticed him.

"Who is **this**?" Cross asked and John smirked.

"Proof that life has a sense of humor." he said and Gin smiled despite himself as he turned and nodded at the now glowering Malamute.

"This is Zach." he said. "He joined our group in Ibaraki. He's going to be with us for a while to…atone for some things."

Zach smirked, shaking his head at the Akita's last few words.

"Everyone's a critic." he said, and then added. "And how long is 'a while' if I might ask?"

John looked over and met his gaze challengingly before Gin could answer.

"Indefinitely." he responded and Gin chuckled, gesturing to the older dogs in front of him as he did.

"Zach, this is Ben and Cross." he said. "They're old comrades of ours."

Zach bowed his head to both of them and Ben straightened up slightly as he looked at the Malamute with his blind eyes.

"The Mastermind of Ibaraki," he said sternly and Zach tensed a little. "Yes, we heard about you. I trust you've learned from traveling with our friends?"

Zach looked up at him and then glanced at Gin and the others before turning back, his expression suggesting that he had thought carefully about his answer.

"Yes sir." he said. "Hopefully we're all better males for it."

"Good." Ben responded. "If Gin trusts you than I do as well."

Gin nodded, satisfied with this exchange, and then turned to the others.

"Everyone," he said. "Let's go inside and get some rest."

Then he looked at one of the nearby guards.

"Ikaru," he said, and the dog's ears perked up. "Take a few dogs and go hunt for some food. Be quick though, that storm looks bad. I don't want anyone out in it."

"Yes leader!" Ikaru said and immediately ran off as Gin and the others slowly padded into Gajou's inner sanctum, laying down inside the main chamber once they had.

Ben and Cross did the same as well, both looking curious about how their journey had gone. Before either of them could say anything though, four young dogs came sprinting into the chamber from deeper inside Gajou, all looking excited by Gin and his group's return. They immediately bounded up to the Akita.

"Gin-dono!" a male Great Dane, who looked about 10 months old, said. "You're back! Did you get in any fights?"

"Yeah, tell us what happened, Gin!" the male Saluki at his side, who looked around the same age, added.

"Ken, George!" John interrupted, looking stern. "You address Gin as 'leader' when you're talking to him."

"Oh, sorry, John-sama!" the Saluki, George, exclaimed. "We're just glad you're all back! It's been so boring around here!"

"Have you been training with your parents?" Gin asked and both nodded, their younger sister Miney, who was practically a twin of Ken's, doing the same beside them.

"Go practice some more." John ordered. "We all need to rest right now."

From beside the 3 pups, a fourth young dog stepped forward. Slightly older than the others, he was a Shikoku-ken, and had a tuft of whitish fur on top of his head between his erect ears that was a few shades lighter than his graying fur, which looked to be transforming from brown as he aged. He looked like an adolescent, halfway between a child and an adult, but he already clearly had a fire to him that demonstrated he could be a formidable male one day. He bowed his head slightly to Akame, who lay at Gin's side.

"Mr. Akame," he said, looking almost proud of himself. "I've perfected that back flip move you showed me. Would you like to see it?"

"Maybe later, Chibi." the Kishu answered, but then seemed to have a thought. "Why don't you show Zach, though. He's in training as well."

Chibi followed his gaze to the Malamute, who lifted his head upon hearing his name.

"Are you also a Shinobi?" he asked and Zach looked at him.

"I'm a work in progress, kid." he responded. "I could always use some tips."

"Come on, then." the young dog said in a professional, yet excited sounding voice. "I'll show you some moves!"

Zach shrugged and stood, stretching as he did. Then he turned and padded after Chibi, who led him quickly down a nearby corridor, into the heart of Gajou, and out of sight. Almost as soon as they had departed, a rushing sound came everyone's ears and a torrential downpour of rain began to drench Futago Pass. To Gin's right, Smith snorted.

"Just in time." he said and the Akita smiled in agreement.

Then he laid his head back down on his paws and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Gin. Gin!"

Gin jumped a little as he awoke with a start, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he did. Once his vision had cleared, he looked up and saw Cross standing in front of him with the guard Ikaru at her side. Both had serious looks on their faces.

"What is it?" he asked, mildly annoyed at being awakened so abruptly.

"Sir," Ikaru said, "There's a group of dogs outside requesting temporary shelter. The storm's gotten worse."

Gin stood up, hearing John and Akame doing the same beside him.

"Who are they?" he asked sternly and Cross turned and fell in beside him as he began walking towards Gajou's entrance.

"Just a passing family group by the look of them." she said. "They certainly don't look like any kind of threat, Gin."

"How many are there?"

"7." Cross said. "Three males, a female, and a few pups."

Gin nodded and walked out of Gajou's entrance quickly, noticing as he did that Smith was still sleeping where he lay, and that Zach and Wilson were both gone. He wasn't sure where either had run off to, but didn't dwell on the matter for long, as cold rain and wind began pelting him in the face painfully as soon as he emerged into the dim light outside. Almost immediately, he saw a small group of dogs standing a few feet away, their forms drenched by the torrential downpour. As Gin walked up, one of them, a large Doberman, stepped forward.

"Please forgive our intrusion!" he said with a small bow, talking loudly over a clap of thunder. "This storm caught us off guard!"

"Where are you headed to?" Gin asked in an equally loud voice and the Doberman gestured East with his head.

"The Iwate Prefecture." he said. "We were just passing through, but then this weather hit. Would you mind if we took shelter until this passes over? We have pups with us."

Gin studied him for a moment, trying to determine if he was being truthful. Then he looked over and 3 small, shivering bundles of fur cowering at the female's feet and nodded, smiling disarmingly.

"Of course," he said, "Come in. You'll be dry inside."

"Thank you!" the Doberman exclaimed and he and his whole group immediately did as they were invited, shaking the water off their fur as soon as they were inside.

Gin then padded back up to him, John and Akame at his side. As he approached, the other male turned and greeted them with a respectful nod.

"Ghastly weather." he scowled, shooting an annoyed glance out at the rain. "We're lucky you were kind enough to let us in."

"Not at all." Gin said. "No one should be out in this, least of all pups. I'm Gin. This is John and Akame. Who are you?"

The Doberman looked shocked.

"Gin of – " he started, then grinned in surprise. "Wow… I'm honored. I didn't think we'd run into males of your stature. My name is Sakai."

He gestured to his group.

"That's Damien, my second in command," he said, and a large mix breed stepped forward with a nod, "My mate Tomoe and our pups, and our packmate Kenji."

A smaller, female Doberman and a male Belgian Malinois nodded gratefully at them as well, and Gin returned the gestures before turning back to Sakai.

"You're free to stay here until this storm passes by." he said. "I ask you not to wander though, it's easy to get lost in here if you don't know your way around."

"Thank you again," Sakai said. "We'll stay out of your way, I promise."

Behind him, his 3 pups suddenly began yipping wildly and darting back and forth, apparently recovered from their chilled state and eager to explore their new surroundings. Gin smiled amusedly as he saw them and Damien quickly reached out a paw and held them all in place roughly.

"Behave you three!" he rumbled gruffly. "These are great males we're guests of!"

To his right, Kenji stepped forward, an impressed look on his face as he turned his head left and right to study the rock fortress around them.

"This place," he said in a smooth, almost serpentine voice. "This is Gajou isn't it?"

"Yes," Akame answered as Gin nodded and Kenji turned to them with a small bow.

"We heard stories recently of a great battle that took place here not too long ago." he said. "And of the dogs who led it, of course. If you'll forgive me, it's just as impressive as I imagined."

Gin felt flattered and bowed back.

"Thank you." he said gratefully and the Malinois gave a smile.

"Of course." he said and Sakai turned to him and Damien as soon as he finished speaking.

"Can you two get them settled down to sleep?" he asked, nodding at his three squirming pups, who looked to be getting restless. "We'll follow soon after."

"Yes sir," Damien said and he and Kenji each picked up one of the tiny dogs and headed over towards the room's far wall, Tomoe picking up the third as Sakai stepped back up to Gin, John, and Akame.

"If you need us out of your way," he said. "Just let us know."

Gin nodded with a friendly smile and the Doberman returned it briefly before turning and walking back over to his packmates, all of them laying to sleep as he approached. Then the Akita looked at John, who snorted unconcernedly as he pulled his gaze away from the newcomers and made to go lay back down where he had been before. Gin went to follow him, determined to resume his rest, but suddenly Akame held out a paw in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Glancing at his friend in response, Gin saw the Kishu gesture over at Smith and the others with a small concerned frown, and as soon as the Akita followed his gaze, he quickly matched his expression. Standing by the wall a few feet behind Smith, having apparently only just come back into the room, was Wilson. The expression on his face though, was one that Gin had never seen him wear before, and the horror and shock that were etched into his eyes was something that disturbed the Akita greatly. Exchanging a confused look with John, who had seen it as well, Gin walked over to the other dog.

"Wilson," he said and the Collie jumped, breaking out of his reverie instantly as his gaze shot to his friend. "Are you all right? What is it?"

The Collie appeared shaken and Gin could see that he was staring at Sakai and his small pack.

"Who are they?" Wilson asked softly and John turned back to him with frown.

"Just a passing group of dogs." he said. "Why? You recognize one of them?"

Wilson gestured with his head further back into Gajou.

"I – I need to talk to all of you **now**." he said in a quiet, trembling voice and the 3 dogs shot each other wary glances before following him deeper into the stone fortress's depths, walking until they were out of earshot of everyone in the main chamber.

Once they were, Gin turned to Wilson again and this time he was serious.

"All right, Wilson." he said. "What is it?"

Wilson leaned in closer to him.

"Gin," he said urgently. "That dog who's with that pack, the Malinois, who did he say he was?"

"Their leader said his name was Kenji." Akame answered instead. "Why?"

"Because he lied." the Collie said and Gin frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked and Wilson looked almost nervous.

"His name is Endo," he said. "Not Kenji. I know of him from when I was a circus dog. He is **extremely** dangerous, Gin."

Gin straightened up in concern, seeing John and Akame doing the same beside him.

"Dangerous how?" John asked in a low, growl-like voice. "Who is he?"

"He's a war criminal." Wilson insisted, meeting his gaze intensely. "From down by Shikoku. They used to call him "The Pied Piper". This guy was the monster to end all monsters. His sole job in the wars he fought in was to demoralize his enemies by sneaking into their home base and kidnapping their children. He'd lure them into the woods or wherever they were, kill them, and then leave their bodies for their parents to find. That's how he got his nickname."

Gin gave a grunt of horror, his eyes widening in shock.

"He **what**?" he gasped in an appalled voice and even Akame echoed his expression.

"Wilson," he said, looking uncharacteristically alarmed. "Are you serious?"

"Don't joke about something like this!" John added fiercely and the Collie shook his head.

"I'm not joking." he answered. "You have to believe me. This dog was one of the most sadistic psychos I've ever seen. Him being here puts everyone in danger!"

"If he's a pup killer then why wasn't he brought to justice before?" the Kishu demanded. "Why the hell is he still free?"

"Because no one could prove it was him who did it." Wilson responded gravely. "Nobody could say for certain that he **was** "The Pied Piper". Everyone suspected it, but they couldn't prove anything, and without proof they couldn't punish him without starting another war. A lot of the boss dogs talked about killing him anyway, but before anyone could make a move, he vanished. They never found him. I didn't even know he was still alive."

"But you're absolutely sure this dog is him?" Gin said and Wilson nodded emphatically.

"**Yes**." he insisted. "Gin, trust me, this bastard killed over 50 kids…that we know of. It's him."

Gin clenched his fangs tightly with a frown and John and Akame turned to him, both of them wearing the same grim expression.

"Gin," John said. "We've gotta take him out."

"What are your orders, leader" Akame added and Gin closed his eyes momentarily, as if thinking about his next move.

Finally, he turned to Akame.

"Delay them." he said, and then looked at John as well. "When this storm ends, convince them to stay a little longer somehow. I'm sending Ikaru down to talk to Asher of Nagano. He's a police dog, he might know more about this than we do. If we can prove this dog is who Wilson says he is…we'll take him out immediately. I absolutely won't overlook the murder of innocent pups! Something that horrible is unforgivable!"

His three friends nodded and Akame turned to Wilson.

"Tell Smith about all this later." he said. "And make sure that Ben and Cross's pups don't go anywhere near him."

"Don't tell them why though." Gin added seriously, whirling to look at him as well. "The last we want if he really is Endo is to make him suspicious."

Wilson nodded at both of them and then casually walked back towards the main chamber, sighing to calm himself as he did. Behind him, the three leaders did the same, and John glanced at Gin as they rounded the bend in the corridor to approach where their guests where.

"You think Wilson's right, Gin?" he asked with a small growl. "Do you think this bastard really **is** this…"Pied Piper"?"

"I hope not, John," Gin replied quietly, glaring over at where Kenji was sleeping by the wall. "'Cause if he is…then this could get really ugly, really fast."

John didn't respond, and Gin followed Akame as they all went back to their spots on the chamber floor and laid down to rest once more.

* * *

"I don't understand," Sakai frowned, looking back and forth between Gin and Akame, "You want us to stay? Why?"

"Just for now." Gin answered, speaking in a calm voice. "We received some reports last night of some dangerous troublemakers on the borders of our territory. Until we deal with them, I'm afraid you and your pack need to stay here where it's safe."

Wilson stood silently to the Akita's right, keeping his head low and his wary gaze on the small group, looking for their reactions. The storm had ended almost at the same time the morning had arrived only a few hours ago, and he, Gin, John, and Akame had made certain to wake up before everyone else, in order to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. He had told Smith about their plan only a few minutes ago, and the Spaniel was doing an admirable job of keeping a straight face as he stood next to Ben at the rear of the group, watching Gin talking to Sakai as well. Behind the Doberman stood the rest of his pack, all of whom looked equally as confused by Gin's request…all that is, except Kenji. The Malinois stood with an impassive expression on his face, clearly listening to everything Gin was saying but not reacting to any of it, and Wilson kept wondering silently if he knew he was being watched. It took real effort on his part not to growl, because while he listened, Kenji would occasionally reach out with a paw and run his claws gently down the back of one of Sakai and Tomoe's pups, which would've been an innocent and ordinary gesture of protection had the Collie not known who he really was. Or did he?

Despite the fact that Gin had agreed to try and prove what he had said was true, Wilson wondered secretly deep down if he was actually right about it all. After all, he himself had no proof that Kenji had done anything wrong, and as Akame had reminded him almost warningly, if they were wrong and did something to an innocent dog, they would be ruining a perfectly happy family and would be no better than the real "Pied Piper". Wilson clenched his jaw tighter. He had to be sure. Kurotora and Chutora getting mates had already started him thinking about his own lost family, and given who Endo was, and what he had done, the current situation had made him even more moody than before, so it was taking a lot of will on his part to keep himself composed. Before he went and condemned another male to death, he absolutely had to be sure. In front of Gin, Sakai looked over at Tomoe, who stepped forward cautiously.

"How long will it be before we **can** leave?" she asked. "We have business to attend to in Iwate."

"We'll deal with it as quickly as we can, ma'am." Gin answered and John added:

"You should be able to leave soon. Just leave it to us."

Sakai nodded, clearly annoyed but doing a good job of concealing it nonetheless.

"All right." he said. "We'll respect your wishes. Come."

The last line had been spoken to his mate and pups, and Damien followed as well as they headed back inside Gajou. Kenji however, didn't.

"Boss," he said and the Doberman turned his head. "I'll be down by the river in that canyon getting a drink. I'll return shortly."

Sakai nodded and then turned and continued on into Gajou without another word. Wilson saw Gin turn and begin talking to Ben and Cross solemnly, and immediately followed after Kenji, no one noticing him as he did. The other dog had already padded over to the canyon wall and had begun walking carefully down the side, reaching the bottom quickly as Wilson descended a few feet to the left instead, trying to avoid the impression that he was following him. As soon as he reached the bottom as well though, he turned his gaze back to his quarry, and saw the Malinois lean over and sniff at the swiftly flowing river, shooting his tongue out to lap at it as it passed. Wilson began to walk towards him.

'What are you doing, Wilson?' he thought as emotions rushed through his head. 'He's not going to admit anything to you! You could blow everything! You're just a know-it-all circus dog! You just – '

"Hello."

The Collie snapped out of his thoughts abruptly and looked up to see Kenji looking over at him, sliding his tongue over his lips as he wiped away stray drops of water. He nodded stiffly.

"Hello." he said back, his voice not confident in the least bit.

Kenji looked him up and down.

"You're Wilson, right?" he asked and the Collie nodded, leaning down to take a drink from the river as well.

"Yes." he said. "Sorry again we have to detain you here."

It felt strangely wrong apologizing to the other male, but Kenji waved it off with a flick of his muzzle.

"It's all right." he said. "I'm almost glad for more rest. The boss travels at quite a grueling pace sometimes."

When Wilson didn't respond, he added:

"Tell me, is it true that that field up there in front of Gajou is where the bear Akakabuto was slain?"

"Yeah," Wilson said simply, keeping his wary gaze on the other dog as he nodded.

"It must have been quite a sight to see."

"It was."

For a moment, neither of them said a word, but then Kenji stood back up to his full height, shaking himself a little as he did.

"It's a good thing you lot took him down." he said, panting as he looked around him at the canyon walls. "Otherwise more innocent dogs could've died."

Wilson just nodded, his mind still warring with itself, and the Malinois kept going, shooting him an almost studying glance as he did.

"Personally," he said. "I find war distasteful. I've seen too many good dogs turned into bloodthirsty killing machines by it, seen them do things that would make you…sick."

Wilson gripped the ground hard with his paws, his legs tensing as he listened to the other male's words. Then Kenji turned completely to face him.

"Tell me, Wilson." he said, looking right at the Collie with an unreadable expression. "One soldier to another. Have you ever done something to end a war that was so terrible…that others speak of you as if you were the devil himself?"

The two dogs' gazes locked onto each other firmly, neither one daring to break their mutual glare. Wilson could feel his heart beating rapidly as he shook his head slowly, watching Kenji with bated breath to see what the next few moments would bring. Suddenly though, the Malinois smirked.

"No." he said, turning away from the river and Wilson. "Neither have I. I guess it's something good dogs like us'll never get to experience, huh?"

Wilson nearly swore out loud.

'He's toying with me!' he thought furiously. 'This fucking bastard is **toying** with me!'

"And who might this be?" Kenji said suddenly before he could respond. "Hello there, young one."

Wilson quickly followed his gaze and immediately felt his stomach do a backflip. Descending carefully down the side of the canyon wall, a look of youthful excitement on his face that suggested he was busy exploring, was Ben and Cross's pup Ken, his steps taking him closer and closer to where Wilson and Kenji were standing. He looked at the Malinois with a goofy smile.

"Hi!" he responded, wagging his tail a little. "I'm Ken! What are you guys doing out here?"

"Ken," Wilson started in alarm. "I think you should – "

"My name is Kenji." the older dog said, an almost predatory glint in his eye. "It's nice to meet you Ken."

"KEN!"

The young Great Dane turned to Wilson, looking startled.

"U- Uncle Wilson?" he asked in surprise.

"Go back to Gajou, now!" the Collie barked angrily and Ken cowered back a little, a slightly hurt look on his face at being yelled at.

"But I – "

"NOW!"

The young Great Dane cringed at his tone, but then nodded sadly and silently climbed back up the wall, hanging his head all the way until he had disappeared from view. As soon as he was gone, Kenji smirked over at Wilson.

"Gotta show 'em a firm paw, right?" he drawled. "Otherwise they'll think they can get away with anything."

Wilson had had enough.

"All right," he growled. "That's it! You listen to me you son-of-a-bitch and you listen well!"

He walked right up to the Malinois challengingly.

"I know who you are," he snapped. "And you will **pay** for what you've done, I promise you that! You go anywhere near that kid again and I will personally rip you into 5 pieces and dump you in this river! You hear me?"

Kenji narrowed his eyes at him, his whole body language suddenly much different.

"And **who**, praytell, do you think I am?" he asked icily and Wilson immediately realized his mistake.

"I – " he said, then paused. "I think…I have a lot of things on my mind. I apologize. I think for the sake of continued peace we should both pretend this never happened. Spend as much time as you need here, but let's just leave it at that."

Then he turned began ascending the wall again as well, and after a pause heard Kenji say, "As you wish" quietly behind him as he did. Once he finally had stepped back onto the flat plain of Gajou, Wilson let out a pent up sigh of anger and fear, trying to bring his emotions back under control as he started quickly forward and retreated into Gajou to think things over.

* * *

Zach grunted as he landed hard on his side, a shower of leaves and tiny twigs following him immediately after.

"Mother**fucker**!" he swore loudly, rolling back to his paws with an irritated growl.

Up in the tree above him, amused youthful laughter sounded, and the Malamute glared up to see Chibi grinning down at him from a low branch of a nearby tree.

"Almost!" he said encouragingly. "Just try and visualize where you're gonna land!"

Zach looked back up at the tree he had just fallen out of. They were out deep in the forest surrounding Gajou, and Chibi had been showing him more of his ninja-dog tricks and skills, every one of which was more impressive than the last. The young Shikoku-Ken had clearly been excited to finally have someone other than Akame to talk to about his ninja training, and Zach had obliged simply because he had wanted to see more of his friends' territory, and this gave him the opportunity to do so. What he hadn't expected, though, was for young Chibi to be as impressive as he was, and instead of exploring, he had allowed the pup to actually try and teach him, which had both succeeded and failed depending on what exercise they were attempting. This latest one, unfortunately, had failed, and now he was beginning to get frustrated.

"All that training and I still don't have this 'tree-jumping' shit down yet." he snorted in annoyance. "I think fighting on ground level is more my forte."

Chibi leapt down from his perch.

"Come on!" he insisted. "You can do this! You're good! It takes a lot of practice."

"Oh yeah? How much have you had?"

"3 hours every day," came the almost proud sounding answer. "It took me a week to get tree-jumping down to where I wasn't afraid I was gonna fall."

"Well," Zach said, grinning at him. "You're better than me, kid. I think I'm all 'trained out' for today."

The younger dog cocked his head slightly, looking almost disappointed.

"Don't you **want** to be a Shinobi?" he asked and Zach snorted.

"I didn't really have much of a choice." he said. "Akame made me do it. I can't say it's not interesting, but as to whether I want it though… I don't know. I've never really known what I wanted."

"Mr. Akame **made** you train?" Chibi asked in fascinated disbelief. "Why?"

Zach looked at him.

"Let's just say that I did some things he didn't like." he said. "Making me train was his way of keeping me under control and…saving me from myself."

"What did you do?"

The Malamute was silent for a moment.

"…Some things I'm not proud of." he said finally, then looked over at the smaller dog, who had come up alongside him. "What about you? You always wanted to be a ninja-dog?"

"My whole life." Chibi answered, rubbing up against a tree. "It's in my blood. My father was a ninja-dog. I don't really remember him, but it's my job now to take up his mantle. I'll be the greatest ninja dog there ever was!"

Zach chuckled.

"I don't doubt it." he said, and then teased. "Is your dad the one who named you 'Chibi'?"

Chibi looked embarrassed.

"No." he said, suddenly examining the ground between his paws intently. "That was Mr. Gin and the others. My dad never gave me a name and…'Chibi' just stuck."

"You don't sound too thrilled with it." the Malamute observed and Chibi looked at him almost exasperatedly.

"Well come on," he exclaimed. "Would **you** be? I mean, who's going to respect me when I'm a great ninja-dog with a name like that?"

"It's your actions that make people respect you, kid," Zach observed wisely. "Not your name. But if you hate it so much, why not just change it?"

Chibi blinked.

"Change it?" he repeated as if he'd never thought of this before. "To what?"

"Anything." Zach said. "Something that sounds powerful, respectable."

"What would you choose?" the young dog asked. "If you wanted a new name?"

Zach seemed to think about it for a minute and walked over to the top of the hill they were on, looking down at the terrain below from between the trees. After a while, he turned back to his young companion.

"My uncle used to tell me these stories when I was a pup." he said thoughtfully. "I swear he would just make them up on the spot, but…one of them was about a group of heroic dogs that fought together to win battles and wars. My brother and I used to love hearing it growing up. My favorite character he talked about was this one dog who always protected the others when they needed help. He was easily their greatest warrior. His name was 'Tesshin'. If I had to choose…I might go with that."

Chibi looked even more fascinated than before and looked down at the ground as if deep in thought.

"Tesshin…" he repeated. "I like that."

Zach smirked, and was about to say something else when another voice cut him off instead.

"Oi!" it snapped. "You two! Hold up a minute!"

Both dogs' heads whirled towards it and the Malamute immediately saw a large Newfoundland standing 100 feet or so away, his heavily scarred brown form flanked by well over 30 other dogs. Zach frowned as he turned towards them, his senses screaming 'Danger'.

"Gin gave me permission to look around," he said warily. "You can check with – "

"We just want directions, pal." the Newfoundland said. "How do you get to Gajou from here?"

Chibi stepped forward as Zach paused, looking professional despite his youth.

"What do you want there?" he asked. "This is the Ohu Army's territory."

"Mind your own business, brat!" a Pit Bull to the Newfoundland's right snapped, then turned to Zach. "Now where the hell is it?"

The Malamute narrowed his eyes slyly. Then he gestured East, away from where Gajou actually was.

"That way." he said. "Keep going until you reach the human road. Gajou's a mile beyond that."

The whole group of dogs looked towards where he had gestured, and the Newfoundland opened his mouth to say something else, when suddenly another dog ran up behind him.

"Jackson-sama!" it said. "We just got word from our source in Kofu! He got it! Gajou's a half-day's journey that way!"

Zach saw them all look in the exact direction it really was, away from where he had said, and silently swore as the large dog turned to him with a furious growl.

"You lied to me!" he yelled angrily. "You piece of shit! Do who know who you're messing with?"

The Malamute shot them a supercilious smile.

"I know you're apparently not as stupid as you look." he said. "Shame... I could've had hours of fun messing with you."

The Newfoundland was beside himself.

"Beat him to death!" he yelled and the whole pack immediately charged, howling war cries as they did.

Zach immediately turned to Chibi.

"Go!" he barked commandingly. "Run!"

The young dog immediately did as he was told and the two took off running as fast as they could back towards Gajou, both cursing themselves silently for straying so far.

"What do we do?" Chibi yelled, taking to the trees, "Should we fight them off, Zach-san?"

"There's too many of 'em!" the Malamute shouted back. "I'm good, kid, but I'm not **that** good! Not even Gin and Akame could take on that many alone!"

"So what do we do?"

"We've gotta make it back to Gajou to warn the others." Zach said, pumping his legs harder. "Those bastards must be here to challenge Gin for Futago Pass! Once we have backup, we'll take 'em all out! Until then though, we **run**!"

Chibi nodded and the two continued to move at top speed, weaving in and out of trees and rocks as they tried to lose their pursuers and make it back to Ohu's home base to warn their comrades.

* * *

Gin sat on a small overlook gazing out upon his territory, watching as the afternoon sun began to transition into the evening, and nighttime came again to his troubled home. Still, it would be a while before that happened fully, and he had left Gajou for a time to wander and think, debating with himself as he waited patiently for any news that could help them with their problem. Zach had still not reappeared, and he silently wondered with a jolt of youthful curiosity what the Malamute and Chibi were doing together, and why it was taking so long. The Akita shook his head slightly to clear the thought from his mind. There were more important things to dwell on, he told himself sternly. Zach's whereabouts were the least of their problems right now.

"Leader," came a smooth, calm voice and Gin didn't even have to look to know who it was.

"Any news from Ikaru?" he asked and Akame shook his head as he sat down next to him.

"Not yet," he said. "It should be another day at least before he gets back from Nagano."

"I'm not sure how much longer we can keep them here without them getting suspicious." he said, feeling a breeze tease at his silvery fur and John came up on his other side.

"We'll be fine." he responded. "Ikaru's good. He knows this is important. We won't have to lie to them much longer."

Gin nodded, glancing at his friend reluctantly.

"I wish I had your optimism." he said, and before John could answer, Akame's sensitive ears reversed on his head, and he looked behind them with a wary frown.

"What is it?" Gin asked immediately, trusting his friend's skills implicitly by now.

"Someone's coming," the Kishu responded and Gin stood, he and John both following the white-furred dog's gaze as all three of them turned towards the approaching sound.

Almost immediately, a long-furred dog came sprinting around a cluster of trees in front of them, and once it got a little closer, they realized who it was.

"Wilson," Gin said with a frown as the Collie came to a stop, panting as he did. "What is it?"

His friend gave him an aggrieved look.

"Gin," he said, and the three Ohu leaders could see the alarm in his eyes. "I messed up. Bad."

The Akita felt a lump form in his chest.

"What happened?" he asked sternly and Wilson looked at him almost apologetically.

"I confronted Kenji." he said. "Just to talk to him, make sure I wasn't imagining things. But things got heated and…"

Gin gave a grunt of fear.

"Does he know?" he demanded worriedly. "Wilson, does he know we suspect him?"

"He doesn't know specifics, leader, but – "

"But he **is** suspicious?" John growled and Wilson nodded ashamedly.

"Without question." he said and Gin could've kicked him.

"Shit!" he swore and then looked at his friend angrily. "Wilson, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I – I wasn't thinking, Gin." came the soft-voiced response and Akame turned quickly to the Akita.

"Gin," he said urgently. "We don't have a choice anymore. We need to confront him **now**! Subdue him at the very least."

"But we still haven't proven anything," the Akita said. "What if he isn't actually "The Pied Piper"? We could start a war."

"No," Wilson said, not meeting his gaze out of shame. "It's him. I saw how he reacted to what I said. There's no question anymore."

"Then let's go!" John demanded impatiently. "We're wasting time!"

Gin nodded and both he and Akame sprinted off after him, heading back quickly towards Gajou as fast as they could go.

* * *

Damien growled in irritation as he looked over at Sakai, his boredom becoming palpable as they continued to sit inside Gajou, waiting patiently for permission from their hosts to leave for their true destination.

"Boss," he growled lightly. "How much longer are we gonna wait here? My brother's expecting us in Iwate today!"

"I don't like it any more than you do, Dam," the Doberman answered gruffly, "But these dogs **are** our hosts, and they were kind enough to let us stay here in the first place so…we'll wait until they're ready."

"But how much longer with that be, Sak?" Tomoe asked, siding against her mate. "I don't like this. There's something these dogs aren't telling us."

"They defeated Akakabuto for god's sake!" Sakai exclaimed. "If anyone's trustworthy, it's them."

"Actually Boss…she's right. They're **not** telling you everything."

The Doberman turned immediately towards the new voice that had spoken and saw Kenji standing in the doorway when he did, a strange look on the Malinois's face as he glared coolly back at them with his piercing brown eyes.

"Like what?" Sakai asked with a frown. "And where have you been all this time, Kenji?"

"Reevaluating." came the calmly voiced answer as its owner stepped slowly into the room. "Because things have just now taken a rather unfortunate and unexpected turn…and I have some things to confess."

He walked right up to Sakai and the Doberman could tell immediately that something was wrong as the other male loomed over him, his eyes shooting occasionally over to the pups sleeping at Tomoe's side. Sakai stood up slowly, and Damien did the same behind him.

"What are you talking about, Kenji?" he asked tensely. "What's going on?"

Suddenly, a truly frightening smile spread over the Malinois's face, and he looked Sakai directly in the eyes.

"Kenji's not here right now." he said in a taunting, yet still calm voice. "But if you want to leave a message, I'll see to it that he gets it."

"K-Kenji – ?" Tomoe started and the dog's head swiveled on his neck like a turret as he looked towards her.

"My name is Endo, love." he drawled, cutting her off and then turned back to the shocked Sakai. "And now that we're all acquainted properly, let's…talk."

* * *

Wilson pumped his legs as fast as he could as he followed in his friends' wake, their paws kicking up water from the ground as they ran, residue from the rains of the night before. Gajou was swiftly approaching and the Collie could feel the anxiety all but resonating off of Gin and the others, their feelings exactly matching his own. He felt terrible, like he had let his pack down somehow because of his momentary lapse of judgment, and he wondered silently how angry Gin actually was at him for it. Whatever the answer though, he had no further time to dwell on it, as Gajou suddenly appeared in front of them out of nowhere and Ben and Cross appeared with it, leading their 2 of their 3 pups at their side as they came from the river canyon. As soon as Wilson and the others sprinted up, Cross turned to them and immediately noticed the alarm on their faces.

"Gin," she said. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Is everything all right here?" the Akita demanded. "Has anything happened?"

"We just got back," Ben said with a frown. "We were busy looking for Ken."

Wilson felt a jolt of dread shoot through him.

"You can't find him?" he asked and the Great Dane shook his head.

"No." he admitted. "But he runs off all the time. He's probably off exploring somewhere. We just wanted to make sure he was okay."

Gin didn't respond and immediately ran inside Gajou, the two older dogs following in his wake in confusion, Wilson, John, and Akame right with them. The Akita ran to a smaller, inner cave inside the stone structure and as soon as he came to the doorway and looked inside, he stopped dead in his tracks. The others all leapt to his side as well and as soon as Wilson got a good look at what was in the room, he felt his stomach fall to his feet. Inside the smaller cave, a bloodbath had unfolded. Sakai lay on his side by the near wall, his underside split down the middle and his entrails spilled onto the floor between his legs. On his face was a look of shock and disbelief that chilled Wilson to the core. Behind him lay Damien and Tomoe, the former's throat ripped out so completely that his spine was visible through the wound. The latter appeared to just be unconscious, but her unmoving state only highlighted another discrepancy. Her 3 small pups were gone. Cross let out a moan of shock.

"Oh my god!" she gasped in horror. "What…What did – "

Gin and Akame immediately rushed to Tomoe's side and Wilson felt a rush of guilt and anger shoot through him.

'This is my fault.' he thought darkly. 'If I hadn't screwed up… He won't get away with this!'

Ben suddenly turned and leapt back out into the larger cave, his head whipping left and right as he did.

"Ken!" he shouted, the 'worried father' tone in his voice clear as it echoed off the stone walls around them. "KEN! Where are you?"

Cross looked beside herself as she jumped out to join him.

"Ken!" she shrieked. "Answer us! Ben, he has – "

"I know!" the Great Dane snapped and Gin looked up where he was.

"Ben," he said. "Cross. Stay here and take care of Tomoe. We'll find Ken, I promise."

Then he turned to the others in the cave.

"John, Akame!" he ordered powerfully. "We need to find Endo now!"

"I found his trail!" came a new voice and everyone whirled to see Smith run up from deeper inside Gajou.

"Smith!" John barked. "Where did **you** go?"

"I just found that a minute ago." the Spaniel said intensely with a nod at the inner cave, the near constant humor in his voice replaced by a dead serious tone. "I was looking for you guys. It looks like he went out a side entrance and took off East away from here. There were definitely pups with him."

"Let's go then!" the Akita said, but Akame cut him off.

"Wait!"

The others turned to him, and Wilson could see him listening closely to something from Gajou's front entrance.

"What is it, Akame?" Gin asked in an impatient voice and the Kishu turned to him.

"There's someone coming." he said. "Fast."

"Leader, get back!" John barked at Gin and the others and leapt up to the side of the doorway alongside Akame, both of them crouching to strike.

Suddenly, a figure came sprinting in from the outside, and both lunged simultaneously, knocking the unsuspecting dog clear off his feet with a yelp of surprise as Akame swept his paws from under him and John tackled him onto his back, his fangs sinking deep into his throat as he did.

"Wh – What the –?" the dog choked out, and a second, smaller figure suddenly appeared from where the first had, his mohawk of white fur giving away his identity immediately.

"Chibi!" Gin gasped in realization, then turned to his friend. "John, wait!"

The Shepherd had already recognized a familiar scent though, and let the dog beneath him up, backing off with a frown of surprise.

"Zach?" he grunted, and the Malamute rolled to his paws, a small trickle of blood now streaming down his neck.

"Thanks." he said in an annoyed, sarcastic voice. "I needed that."

"Where the hell have you been?" John retorted and Zach turned to Gin.

"Entertaining a group of dogs that **really** don't seem to like you." he responded and the Akita gave an exasperated growl. "They're on their way here right now."

"How many?" Akame asked and Zach looked over at him.

"At least 30." he said. "Chibi and I just lost them 10 minutes ago."

"30?" John repeated. "Feh. That's just a workout. We can take them easily!"

Gin was about to respond when Smith suddenly said:

"Guys, where's Wilson?"

The Ohu dogs all looked around them in surprise, and Akame sniffed at the ground leading to where Smith had first appeared.

"Damn it." he swore. "He's gone after Endo himself."

Gin turned to his friends.

"Everyone," he said. "Go deal with these thugs that Zach ran into. I'll go after Wilson and Endo."

"Leader," Akame started. "I really don't think – "

"Trust me, Akame." the Akita said, cutting him off. "Please. Now let's go!"

The dogs all nodded and Chibi turned to Akame as Gin ran off into the darkness towards where Wilson had gone.

"Mr. Akame," he said. "Let me fight too!"

"No." came the curt answer. "You stay here."

"I can help," the young Shikoku-ken pleaded. "Please!"

The Kishu looked irritated, but after a moment nodded anyway, giving in with a sigh.

"All right," he said. "Fine. But keep up with us and stay near me. Understand?"

Chibi nodded emphatically, looking both determined and excited.

"Yes sir!" he exclaimed and Akame turned to the others.

"Come on!" he yelled and they all ran after him as he leapt away, heading to meet their enemy in the forests surrounding the place they called home.

* * *

Wilson could feel anger filling him as he continued to follow Endo's trail. Thoughts of his own dead son filled his mind like a poison, and he felt as though a vice had clamped down on his heart every time he saw his young one's face.

'No more.' he thought. 'No more. I can't let any more kids die. It's my turn to save one.'

He felt bad about leaving Gin and the others behind without telling them where he was going, but this was something that he needed to do alone, whether he succeeded or not. He had to find Endo. Wilson had no idea how far ahead the killer had gotten, but with four pups burdening him, it couldn't have been far.

'Even if you find him, though.' his mind yelled at him. 'What are you going to do? You've never been much of a soldier. You're not like the others.'

"Doesn't matter." he said aloud determinedly, answering himself. "I have to try."

Then he kept running, exiting the forest he was in and ending up in a small clearing along the edge of the canyon he had been following since leaving Gajou. The Collie was so busy thinking though, that he didn't even notice Endo's presence until he was right on top of him. As soon as he had, he leapt backwards in surprise and saw the Malinois whirl around to face him, picking up one of Sakai's pups in his mouth and pinning the other two, and Ken, to the ground with his paws. The young Great Dane looked up at Wilson with a frightened gaze.

"Uncle Wilson!" he cried. "Help!"

Wilson growled at Endo, who didn't look at all surprised that he had come.

"Let them go." he threatened and the killer shrugged.

"Okay." he said and suddenly whipped his head sideways and tossed the pup in his mouth off the side of the cliff, and Wilson could only watch in horror as the yelping young Doberman disappeared from view, and a faint impact sound came to his ears soon after.

The Collie snarled at the other male, tears in his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he screamed as Endo picked up another one of the pitifully whining pups. "They did nothing to you! They're just kids! KIDS!"

"I knew it was only a matter of time before someone realized the truth," Endo said, and Wilson could hear that he didn't care in the slightest. "Who I really was. I just didn't think it would be this soon. You're an astute bastard if nothing else, Wilson, I'll say that for you."

"If you think for one second that you're walking away from this then you're sadly mistaken!" the Collie threatened dangerously and Endo gave a grin.

"You know," he drawled, "There was this kid I met once that you remind me a lot of, Wilson. Little Collie pup, cutest thing I've ever seen. His father had pissed off my leader rather badly, and it was my job to retaliate…which of course meant that Collie junior needed to die. Poor little thing… Didn't even know what hit him. He followed me willingly into those woods away his family. Can you believe that? Bounded after me like I was bringing him a treat. That's all there was to it. I barely even had to try."

Endo paused and Wilson shook in barely restrained fury. Then the Malinois looked at him again.

"I drowned him…" he taunted softly. "In a river that was nearby. He had this look of terror on his face the whole time that I can't even describe. Only managed to get his head above the water once, and you know what he did? Cried for his mother. How sad is that? I'll tell you, Wilson, if I had a scar for every time one of them cried…I'd be one ugly dog."

The Collie was so disgusted and horrified that words momentarily failed him, but finally he managed to growl out:

"You sick fuck! How could you? It's our duty as adults to **protect** children, not hurt them! They were innocent!"

Endo snorted.

"Innocence is in the eye of the beholder." he replied. "Besides, it isn't that important really. What's done is done. I guess I just wanted to tell you because you look so much like him…or what he might have looked like anyway. Hell, he could've been your son. Oh well…the circle of life, right?"

That was the absolute last straw for Wilson. Letting out a terrifying howl of rage, he lunged at the dog they called "The Pied Piper" faster than he had ever moved before in his life, his sharp fangs bared lethally to strike. Clearly not expecting an all out attack, not when he still had the pups hostage, Endo dropped the young Doberman puppy in surprise and immediately found himself bowled over onto his back by the enraged Collie, giving Ken and the others time to scramble out of the way. Kicking at his attacker, the Malinois bit hard on Wilson's shoulder and ripped a deep, bloody gouge in his flesh, trying to knock him off him the whole time. The Collie, however, didn't even seem to care. He bit at any part of the other dog his fangs could reach, and soon, he was ripping whole chunks of flesh out of the Malinois's neck and chest, immediately slashing at him again before the blood had even finished hitting the ground.

Swinging around though, Endo threw Wilson off roughly and sent him rolling into the dirt, leaping on him in indignant anger as soon as he had. The Collie felt sharp teeth tearing into his throat before he could regain his feet and he choked mightily as his air was cut off completely, eyes bulging out of his head in fear as he clawed and kicked at the bigger dog, slashing at his eyes with his claws. Endo wasn't affected and bit down harder, blood seeping from around his fangs.

"Don't delude yourself, Wilson." he whispered, his eyes full of an almost taunting anger as crimson drops dripped down onto the Collie's fur from the wounds he had caused. "I'm no devil and you're no hero. We're just dogs, both of us. The only difference between us is the legacy we'll leave behind. I'll have one…you won't."

Then he started to bite harder, readying the deathblow, and Wilson knew that he had no chance to escape his fate.

'I'm sorry everyone.' he thought. 'I failed.'

Then, however, something small hit Endo in the side of the face, and Wilson gasped as Ken bounced off and fell back onto the ground, a look of anger and determination on his face.

"Let him go!" he yelled and the killer released his hold instantly, whirling sideways to slash the young dog brutally across the cheek as he turned to him in annoyance.

"You little brat!" he spat and Wilson wasted no more time.

Mere moments after gasping in precious air, he kicked the Malinois off of him and bit down hard on his throat as soon as he had leapt upon him again. Then he turned and threw him partially over the side of the cliff and held him there suspended, watching as the other dog kicked and clawed uselessly at the air, choking audibly the whole time. Wilson didn't let up for one second, his son's face flashing though his mind again, and Endo's eyes began to roll back into his head as he suffocated. Suddenly though, he reached up and managed to wrap his front legs around the Collie's neck, and began to pull him over the edge with him as soon as he had. Wilson could feel his paws slip from under him, but before he could even attempt to regain his footing, jaws closed tightly around his tail and he felt someone yank him roughly back to safety. Endo, however, wasn't so lucky. Wilson had lost his grip as soon as he'd been pulled back, and the Malinois immediately plummeted into the canyon below, letting out a howl of terror as he fell to his death hundreds of feet below. Wilson didn't even look to see where he had landed and fell to the ground in exhaustion as soon as he heard the impact, turning to his rescuer as he did.

"Thank you, Gin." he panted and the Akita nodded, giving him a concerned look as he stood beside him.

"That's the second time you've ignored my wishes and put yourself in danger." he said quietly and Wilson looked away.

"Forgive me, Gin." he said. "It…it was my turn to save one."

Gin followed his gaze to the Ken and the two remaining Doberman pups, who sat trembling near the older pup's side, and understood immediately. He reached down and gently pulled his friend to his feet.

"Come on." he said. "Let's get these kids home."

Then, one bloodied and ragged and the other powerful and protective looking, they turned and walked back towards Gajou, carrying Sakai's pups as Ken followed closely in their wake.

* * *

"Tomoe, are you sure?"

The female Doberman looked up at Gin, her eyes still damp from crying over the loss of her mate and young pup.

"Yes," she said softly. "Damien's brother is like family to me. He'll take us in gladly."

The Akita still looked concerned and nodded slowly, feeling the sun beating down on them from overhead as they stood outside Gajou. It had been only a few hours since his and Wilson's return, but the only surviving adult of Sakai's ill-fated pack had insisted that she was fine and wanted to leave as soon as possible. She had spent a long time quietly saying goodbye to her mate, and after Ben and Cross had helped bury his and Damien's bodies, she had gathered up her two remaining pups and told Gin that she was leaving. The Akita disagreed with the swiftness of her departure, worried as he was about her state of mind, but knew he had no right to force her to stay any longer, and that it was probably too painful for her to remain in the place where she had lost just about everything she cared about in the world. He nodded at her, acknowledging her decision.

"All right," he said. "But I'm sending a guard with you to make sure you all get there safely. I'm truly sorry for everything."

Tomoe shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault." she said. "You're the only reason he didn't…h–he didn't…"

She trailed off, choking up, and Gin knew that she had meant to say "kill them all", but hadn't been able to finish.

"Sakai seemed like a good male," he said. "It was an honor to meet him…and you."

She nodded at him gratefully, composing herself a little.

"Thank you." she said, and then turned and moved to leave, looking over at her pups as she did.

"Thunder!" she called in a slightly shaky voice. "Lector! Come on!"

Then the three of them walked away, and Gin gestured to one of the guards standing watch outside to follow them, a strange, uneasy feeling filling him as he watched them go. He didn't know why it had hit him, but didn't dwell on it much longer, and turned and walked back inside Gajou himself, seeing John, Akame and the others still resting from their own fight in the main room inside. When he joined them, Gin saw Smith busy licking some wounds on his front leg, glaring over at Zach as he did.

"I can't believe you threw that guy into me." he said ruefully, and the Malamute snorted.

"Oh suck it up." he said and Gin managed a smile. "You should've been paying attention anyway."

"Yeah, Smith." John agreed, stretching himself as he did. "Besides, that battle was pathetic! It took 3 damn minutes to put them down. Those idiots were as far from real males as you can get!"

Over to their right, Cross was busy checking on Chibi, Ben doing the same to the newly scarred Ken right beside her, and Gin could see a proud look on the young dog's face, despite some visible wounds on his flank and forehead. Beside them, Akame stood patiently, watching over everything and ensuring that all was in order. As Gin walked up beside him, the Kishu looked down at Chibi.

"Chibi." he said, looking very pleased. "You did well today. You stood with us fearlessly against older, bigger dogs, and showed me once and for all that you'll be a great male one day. I'm proud of you."

The young Shikoku-ken looked happier than Gin had ever seen him, but as he met the older dog's gaze, a more professional look suddenly appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Akame." he said. "But if I'm going to be a great ninja-dog like you, then I think I should have a name that better commands the respect of others. One that will make them feel secure, and trust me as their leader when I'm older."

Akame frowned in confusion and Chibi stood a little straighter.

"From now on," he said. "I no longer wish to be called "Chibi". My name is "Tesshin". Tesshin of Ohu."

Gin blinked in surprise and he and Akame exchanged a look, but after a moment the Kishu nodded, smiling down at the smaller dog approvingly.

"Tesshin it is." he said and the younger dog gave Zach an excited look, getting a congratulatory smile in response.

Gin smiled slightly as well, but then looked deeper into Gajou and saw a long-furred figure sitting alone in the doorway of a side entrance, looking up at the sky with a conflicted look on his face. It was Wilson. The Akita sighed and walked over to the Collie, sitting down beside him as soon as he got there.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly and Wilson sighed as well, not looking at him.

"I will be." he said and Gin nodded, his senses still telling him that something was still troubling his friend.

"You know," he said. "Those other two pups would've died if not for you. Ken would've died. You saved their lives."

"I put them in danger to begin with." came the answer and Gin turned away.

"It's not your fault." he said. "You know that. You made a bad decision. That doesn't mean everything that happened afterwards happened because of you."

The Collie sighed.

"Gin…" he said, and finally met the Akita's gaze after a long pause. "I'm leaving the pack."

Gin gave a start and looked at his friend in great concern.

"What?" he said, caught off guard. "Wilson, I'm sorry things happened the way they did but – "

"Gin!"

The Akita silenced, continuing to stare at the Collie as he turned to him.

"I've been thinking about it for a while." Wilson said sadly. "But it's only now that I've finally made my decision. It's not you, Gin…or the others. You'll always be my good friends…always. The problem is me."

"Wilson…" Gin said softly. "I – I don't understand."

The Collie looked back at the sky.

"After Kurojaki killed my mate and son," he said. "I gave up. I only joined you after his defeat because I had nowhere left to go. But even though I wouldn't trade what we went through together for the world, after Kurotora and Chutora left, and after what happened here…I started to realize how much I missed the life I used to have. I started to miss having a family of my own again."

He looked Gin in the eyes gently.

"You're the greatest male I've ever known." he said. "And the greatest friend. But this life, the life of a soldier…it's not the one that I want. I want a second chance at being a normal dog again…at being a father. I hope you understand."

Gin nodded, feeling his eyes begin to tear up a little despite how much he tried to force it back. Then he nodded.

"Yeah." he said softly. "I understand."

Wilson stood, breathing in the Ohu air deeply as he did. Then he turned to his friend, smiling as he did.

"This isn't goodbye." he said with a smile. "I'll see you again, leader."

Gin rested a paw on his shoulder.

"You better." he said and Wilson nodded.

Then he gestured inside Gajou, where John, Akame and the others were still talking and resting up.

"Tell the guys," he said. "Tell them…it was an honor."

"I will."

Wilson bowed, looking one last time at the Akita as he did.

"Gin." he said simply.

Then he turned and walked away from Gajou, never once looking back as he vanished into the forests around the great stone fortress, on his way to whatever awaited him. Gin smiled after his friend, feeling the wind tease at his fur as he did.

"Good luck." he said softly.

Then he turned and walked back inside, taking his place by his other friends as he did. After all, he knew, they had a lot of things they still needed to accomplish together before they left on their next journey.


	7. Story 7: The Vengeful

**Author's Note: **This chapter took a lot of work, but I'm actually very proud of how it turned out. Thank you to Des, MaryD, and Robert for reviewing! Des - That's a good idea about Akame that you had! I may actually use that somewhere. Thanks! Hope you all like it!

* * *

Zach stretched himself as he walked, only half listening to John and Kurotora as they argued over…something. Truth be told, he didn't particularly care what it was, and instead looked around from his position beside Smith at the rear of the group, admiring the scenery as they began to approach the outskirts of the Ohu territory, on their way to the northlands of Mutsu. Just over 2 months had passed since Wilson's departure and the incident at Gajou with Endo, and the time he and the others had spent in Ohu had been surprisingly peaceful, a nice change of pace from the near constant string of fights and bad luck they'd had before that. He had gotten to know his new home very well in that time, and had strengthened the bonds of friendship that he shared with his Ohu Army companions, aiding them in their everyday endeavors, volunteering for guard duty so they could rest, and even playing with Tesshin and the other pups to give their parents some time to themselves. Though in the past he would've loathed doing things like this, he was still making a conscious effort to become a better male, and every time Gin or Akame complimented or thanked him, he felt like he was succeeding. He had done so well, according to Gin, that he had been allowed to accompany the rest of them as they set off again on yet another journey, this one to visit their friends and former comrades from the now legendary war against Akakabuto, and Zach could safely say that he was thrilled to be there.

Gin had made the decision to leave Ohu again only the week before, and though the Malamute had long sensed that his friend had been getting restless, he had been surprised that they had left as quickly as they did. It didn't matter much to him, as he had always enjoyed traveling to other places, but the Akita's insistence on their leaving so swiftly made him wonder if the young leader enjoyed being in Ohu at all, or was secretly a nomad at heart, and preferred seeing all of Japan's wonders instead of settling permanently in one part of it.

"God, Kurotora," John snapped suddenly in front of him, his hackles raised dangerously. "I don't fucking care! The day I want to hear mating tips from you is the day I throw myself off a cliff!"

"Yeah?" the Kai dog replied, looking offended. "Well if you listened for once, you might actually **get** a mate and not have to rely on others to hear about how it's done!"

Zach rolled his eyes, hearing John whirl around to bite him on the neck hard and throw him to the ground before Gin and Akame broke it up. The Shepherd had been in a bad mood all day, and though he had **really** wanted to mess with him a little for a few laughs, Akame had all but ordered him not to, reading his intentions perfectly the way he always had before Zach even had a chance to piss the older male off at all. In the end it hadn't mattered, as Kurotora had taken his place instead, and for once he got to watch the show instead of act in it, a feeling that was both strange and amusing. The two Kai dogs had joined back up with them only yesterday, right before they had left for Gin's friend Kisaragi's territory, and had immediately bragged to them all about their respective mates and how happy they were that they had courted them to begin with. Both females were already heavily pregnant, they had discovered, and had wanted to spend the remaining time they had before the birth of their respective litters with their own pack in Niigata, telling both Kurotora and Chutora that they could expect strong healthy pups upon their return to Kai, where they planned to relocate while the two were gone. Now, the 7 of them were traveling once more, and Zach was definitely feeling good about it, despite the tension the day was already bringing. In front of him, John and Kurotora were both shooting each other murderous glares and Gin and Akame, who walked quietly at the front of the group, also looked none too happy, tired, he assumed, of breaking up squabbles between their friends. The Malamute smirked.

"I'm glad we're all having fun." he said sarcastically, nudging Smith with his shoulder as he did, and the Spaniel snickered as John and Akame both looked over their shoulders at him irritatedly.

"Don't push me you little prick." the Shepherd spat. "It's bad enough I have to listen to **him** without dealing with you too."

"Oh, shut up John, you – " Kurotora started to say but suddenly Gin came to a halt and turned to face them all.

"All right, enough!" he said angrily and then looked around at the small clearing they had stopped in. "Let's rest here for awhile until you two remember how Ohu commanders are supposed to act."

That shut them both up immediately and Zach chuckled to himself as the whole group went and lay down in different locations around the clearing, waiting for everyone to regain their good moods before moving on. He, however, was feeling too restless. Walking to the edge of the tree line, he glanced at Gin as he passed.

"I'll be back, leader." he said. "I'm gonna take a look around."

"Mmm." the Akita grunted with a nod, clearly still annoyed with his other friends. "Be back soon. Hopefully we won't have to be here much longer."

Zach snorted.

"You underestimate John and Kuro's stubbornness." he said and Gin rolled his eyes.

"That's what I'm afraid of." he responded in a 'Why me?' voice and Zach turned with a smirk and walked off into the trees, padding carefully through the thorny underbrush as he did.

The forest around him had thick foliage lining it's upper layer, and because of this, even though it was a nice, sunny day, it's ground level was bathed in shadow, making it both cooler and harder to see for a great distance in any direction. In any event, he decided, this place would not be too bad to live in or around. The human village of Morioka was nearby somewhere, and if one needed a change of scenery from the darkness of the woods, they would simply have to go down to it and mingle with the pet dogs in their comparatively pampered existence. He, however, preferred the wilderness, and made sure to stick to the forest as he kept walking, hearing leaves crunching under his paws with every footfall. Stepping up to a small stream near a more tightly clumped grove of trees, he leaned down and lapped at the cold water, letting it trickle down his throat as he wondered what this 'Kisaragi' they were going to see must be like. Once he was done, he continued on, smelling the scent of blooming plants and rotting wood around him, the result, he assumed, of the rains that had just passed through the area. Suddenly, something appeared in front of him and he came to a halt, blinking in surprise.

The forest ended around 500 feet away, and beyond that the ground seemed to just drop off into oblivion, the cliff that lay beyond it having to be phenomenally deep given the mountainous area they were passing through. What he was staring at though, was the large human building that sat right on the chasm's edge. It looked like a temple of some sort, and had a slanted roof resting on a wooden structure beneath. Its outer walls seemed to be in relative disrepair, and much of the carvings and markings the humans had made in it had faded with time. In fact the only one he could make out at all was a large sun emblem carved right above what looked to be the entrance, and he assumed that it had been the symbol of whoever had lived there. Cocking his head to study it, he decided that it was an interesting looking place, one that would definitely be fun to check out. But, he remembered, there was no time to explore it, as they had to leave sooner rather than later. Shrugging, Zach turned away from it and walked over to one of the larger trees nearby, lifting his hind leg as he intended to do his business quickly before heading back.

"What are **you** doing out here?" came an impatient sounding voice suddenly, and Zach looked up to see John striding towards him, his mood apparently improved only slightly from before.

The Malamute grunted in irritation at the interruption.

"Taking a piss." he said. "Wanna watch?"

John snorted, ignoring the jibe, and padded over to the small stream, drinking from it as well as Zach lowered his hind leg behind him. Turning afterwards, he saw that the Shepherd had noticed the old temple as well and nodded at it from where he stood.

"Yeah, I just found that a minute ago." he said. "What do you think it was?"

"It used to be the base of the Hattori ninja clan." John replied in an almost bored voice and Zach blinked in surprise at the swiftness of his answer.

When the Shepherd saw this, he turned and nodded over his shoulder at it.

"Akame told me a while back." he explained. "It's one of my duties as an Ohu commander to know about all the packs who live around here. The Hattoris used to live there. They all got wiped out a few years ago though. This whole area's pretty much vacant."

"Hmm," Zach said, glancing at it with another intrigued look. "Shame. Well, more territory for all of you."

John walked over and leaned against a tree in front of him, looking almost suspiciously at the forest around them.

"Tell me something." he said suddenly and Zach glanced up at him. "Why'd you come with us anyway?"

"Huh?" he said with a frown and John met his gaze.

"On this trip." he clarified. "Why'd you come with us? None of these dogs we're seeing are anyone you know…and half of them are better males than you."

"Maybe I like expanding my collection of allies." he replied, ignoring the insult, and when John scoffed added: "Or maybe I just enjoy your company."

He grinned when he said this and the Shepherd smirked back at him.

"Well, I guess I can't blame you there." he said smugly and Zach snorted good-naturedly.

"All right," he chuckled. "Nose down, Captain Arrogance. I'm just saying that – "

THUNK! John suddenly let out a bellow of pain and Zach jumped visibly as he heard it, taking a step backward in surprise. Moments later, he saw why. A sharp, thin tree branch jutted out of the Shepherd's side around his stomach area and a thin trail of blood streamed down from where it had entered the brown and black furred dog's flesh. Zach whipped his head back and forth.

"Where the fuck did **that** come from?" he barked intensely and John didn't answer.

Wincing visibly and growling at the effort, he twisted himself and reached back with his head, biting down on the end of the stick and yanking it out of him with a quick jerk of his neck. Then he tossed it aside and looked around furiously at the dim forest that surrounded them.

"Where are you, you fucking coward?" he snapped. "Come out and fight!"

There was no answer and the Shepherd winced again as he tried to take a step, Zach stopping him with a paw as soon as he had.

"Let me see." he said seriously and lowered his head to the wound, John grimacing down at him as he did.

During the 2 months he had spent in Gajou, Akame had taught him the basics of treating battlefield wounds, a skill that he had specifically requested to learn, as it would be greatly useful in the long run. He still knew very little about it, but he knew enough at least to deal with wounds like these by himself, and after studying it for a moment, he glanced back up at John.

"Looks like it hit a nerve cluster." he said and the Shepherd growled in annoyance, still seeing no one as he glanced around them. "It's probably gonna hurt to walk for a while. Hold still."

Reaching out with his muzzle to stem the bleeding, he saw John jerk away with a grimace of near disgust.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Cleaning your wound."

"Tch! You think I want your tongue all over me? Think again." John said and Zach scowled at him in annoyance.

"Can you clean it yourself?" he asked scathingly.

"I don't need to. I've been hurt worse than this and survived."

The Malamute got immediately in the other male's face.

"I realize you're stronger and higher ranked than me," he said in an almost threatening voice. "And I realize we don't always get along. But for once in your stubborn, smug little existence…shut up and let me help you."

John stared at him for a second, the look on his face suggesting he had half a mind to smack him for his disrespect, but then rolled his eyes with a growl and submitted, looking pointedly forward to search for their attacker as Zach began sliding his tongue gently over the wound, cleaning the blood away from it.

"It won't do any good."

Both males whipped their heads towards where the voice had come from and immediately saw a shadowed figure standing on a low branch in a nearby tree, his silhouetted head looking right at them. John took an angry step forward.

"Did you throw that?" he demanded furiously. "Answer me!"

There was no response and Zach stepped up as well, glaring cautiously at the stranger.

"If you came to pick a fight," he said in a calm, threatening voice. "Then you chose the wrong dogs to mess with, pal. Do you even know who we are?"

The dog looked down at them unfazed.

"I know **exactly** who you are." he said in a low, hate-filled voice. "And you brought this on yourself. Everything that happens from here on in is your fault. Remember that."

Then he turned and sprang away and both males let out grunts of surprise and anger, their heads darting left and right to see where he had gone.

"Hey!" John shouted. "Get back here, bastard! We're not finished!"

Their attacker though, was gone, and Zach turned to his comrade.

"Let's get back to the others." he suggested with an angry scowl. "He might target them next."

"I know!" John snapped as if it was obvious. "I'm not a leader of Ohu without reason! Once we rendezvous with them we'll – "

Suddenly, he trailed off and Zach looked up at him with a frown. This frown quickly became concern. The Shepherd was making a strange noise with his throat, one that suggested he was having trouble breathing, and Zach took a step forward.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You okay?"

John choked harder and suddenly, before Zach could even react, his eyes rolled back up into his head and he flopped over onto his side in the dirt, shaking violently in a seizure as soon as he landed.

"John!" he shouted and leapt over to him, hearing the Shepherd gasping and choking wildly for air as he continued to shake harder by the second.

Zach raised his head towards where the others were.

"AKAME!" he bellowed as loudly as he could. "GIN!"

Seconds later, the entire Ohu group erupted out of the trees at top speed, Gin at the front, a serious and powerful expression on his face as he looked around for the fight that he assumed was happening. When he and the others saw their comrades though, his eyes went wide and he was at Zach's side before the Malamute could even blink.

"John!" he yelled in alarm and both he and Chutora quickly tried to hold the Shepherd down to keep him from thrashing even more.

"What happened?" Akame demanded urgently to Zach and the Malamute nodded quickly over at the branch that had been used as a weapon.

"Some dog came out of nowhere and threw that thing at him." he replied and the ninja-dog leapt over to it, sniffing at it immediately as he examined it.

Then he got a startled look on his face and quickly darted over to the stream, vanishing from their view a moment later as he searched around for something. Gin looked at Zach.

"What did this dog look like?" he asked angrily and Zach shook his head.

"I didn't see him too well." he said. "And John collapsed before we could go after him."

The Shepherd was swiftly suffocating though and choked audibly again as they talked, making Gin shout Akame's name into the forest desperately seconds later.

"Come on, John!" Kurotora half-begged, forgetting their fight from earlier. "Stay with us! Breathe!"

Suddenly, Akame was beside them again and he tossed a plant of some kind onto the ground beside John's muzzle.

"Open his mouth." he commanded and Smith and Gin quickly did what he said, forcing the Shepherd's jaws apart immediately.

Akame then shoved the plant down his friend's throat with a paw and proceeded to bite down on his muzzle to hold it shut, knocking Gin and Smith aside as he did. For a few moments, John thrashed even more, but finally, practically at a moment's notice, he ceased moving altogether, his whole body going limp in unconsciousness as Akame released his hold and rolled him onto his back, putting an ear near his mouth to listen for breath. Everyone held theirs as he did and finally the ninja-dog sighed with relief, nodding at them moment later that everything was fine.

"He's all right." he said. "We got to him just in time."

"What the hell **was** that?" Smith asked fearfully and Akame gave him a worried look.

"Poison." he said. "The end of that branch is smothered in it. It's a lot like the one I used on all of you, the one that made Ben go blind. This one's even more potent though. That plant I gave him was the same one I used to treat all of you."

"So this was deliberate?" Gin growled in angry disbelief and the ninja-dog nodded.

"Yes." he said and his gaze went to John. "Someone tried to kill him."

Zach said nothing, and looked down at the unmoving body of his friend, his mind racing as it tried to figure out how their previously peaceful day had gone so horribly, terribly wrong.

* * *

The attacker stepped silently into the run down building, not making a sound as he slipped past the outer threshold and into the dank corridor that led to where his leader was waiting. He could hear his claws clicking on the rotting wooden floor beneath him as he walked, and silently wondered deep down how the structure was even still standing, as assaulted by mold and time as it was. The light was dim everywhere inside, the humans' design preventing it from reaching the interior almost at all, but he could still see the silhouettes of the others as they awaited news of his mission, so few of them left as there were. Reaching the end of the corridor, he nosed open a large door, ignoring the loud creaking protest it made at the motion, and strode without a word up to another dog, whose tall form was virtually undetectable near the corner shrine where he sat. As the attacker approached, he looked up, only his eyes visible in the dark.

"Is it done?" he asked, "Did you deliver our message?"

"Yes."

"Do they know we're here?"

"Not specifically."

The tall dog looked back at the wall he had been staring at before.

"Good," he said quietly. "Make sure they don't find out. I'm sending Sid and his little band to meet them in battle when they come looking. None of their lives matter anyway, so they can keep them busy for a while. Meanwhile…you deliver our second message."

The attacker cocked his head.

"…So Hajime and the others are back already?" he said. "Did they get what they needed down South?"

"…Yeah."

"Where are they?"

"In the corner." the tall dog said. "Dump them right at his feet."

The attacker stepped forward.

"Sir," he said in an almost angry voice. "We have him within our grasp. He's outnumbered, they all are. Let me kill him. Just say the word and it'll be done."

The tall dog's head turned towards him.

"Kill him?" he repeated, as if the thought had never crossed his mind. "No…I don't want him dead."

"But **why**?" the attacker demanded. "We could finally take what's rightfully ours! No one would begrudge us. We could – "

"No one," the tall dog said dangerously. "Is to kill him, unless I specifically order them to."

The attacker's look of frustration and anger was hidden by the moldy darkness around them, but the tall dog turned towards him anyway as if he'd seen, standing slowly as he faced him head on for the first time.

"Dead dogs, Mitsuto," he said in a quiet voice filled to the brim with hatred and bitterness. "Can't feel pain. Dead dogs can't feel sorrow. And for him, that just won't do…am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"I want him to **suffer**, Mitsuo," the tall dog said, lying down again. "Deliver the next message. Now."

"…Yes, sir."

Then the attacker turned and left, leaving the tall dog alone in the corner near the shrine, where still no light shone at all.

* * *

"Tell me again." Gin said, his eyes narrowed in anger as he looked at Zach. "What did he say?"

"I told you." the Malamute answered, an exasperated tone to his voice. "He told us 'You brought this on yourself. Everything that happens from here on in is your fault.'"

"And that's it, nothing else?"

"No. Then he ran away like a little coward."

Gin sat back on his haunches, exchanging a serious look with Akame that suggested he was both furious and worried about the attack, the fact that it was so close to their home territory being no small reason for this. Akame looked down at the ground in front of him.

"So it's an attack on us." he said, his normal calm voice laced with thoughtfulness. "Someone wants to challenge us for Paradise."

"That'd be my guess." Kurotora said from his position over by Smith and Chutora. "So how about we don't disappoint them and go send them back to whatever shithole they crawled out of."

"I second that." Chutora growled and Smith cocked his head.

"But who could it have been?" he asked contemplatively. "The only dogs that live around here are the pets down in Morioka. None of them would be fool enough to mess with us."

Gin looked back at the others, a determined glint in his eye.

"I won't let this attack go unpunished." he said in a nearly threatening voice. "Whoever they are, if it's a fight they want, then that's what they'll get. Right now though, we need to get John to safer ground. We'll search for whoever's responsible for this when that's done."

The others nodded and Zach looked over at the Shepherd, who lay unconscious on his side over by Gin and Akame, having still not awakened after the attack, a testament to the damage the poison and its antidote caused. Then everyone stood and quickly made to leave, Akame heaving John's limp form onto his back once they had. Zach walked over to them as well, and as soon as they were all prepared, Gin set off at a swift pace, trying to distance them from the area and the unknown dogs that lurked within it, waiting possibly to attack them at the first chance they got. From there, they moved further North and to the West, rapidly approaching the borders of Kisaragi's territory of Mutsu, and all the great soldiers and fighters that it held in its midst. They were still at least a half-day's journey from it though, Zach knew, and Gin and Akame began searching for a defensible area to rest in, an area that they didn't find for another hour. It was a small plateau that they eventually decided on, surrounded on all sides by the same forest they had been traveling in ever since their departure from Gajou, and despite its size, it gave them the high ground, and therefore an advantage if there was an attack. Once they were all there, the two leaders motioned for a halt, Akame letting John slide gently off his back as he did. Then Gin turned to the others.

"Now," he said determinedly. "Let's go find out who did this. Smith, Zach, you stay here and guard John. Akame, Kurotora, Chutora, come with me."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Gin turned and ran quickly back the way they'd come, the Kai brothers immediately following Akame as the ninja-dog bounded after him, his powerful legs taking him high up into the treetops of the forest around them in a series of spectacular leaps. Then they were gone. Zach stared after them as they left, wrinkling his nose in irritation at being left behind. Many things made him angry, but none so much as someone hurting his friends or family, and the thought of not being there to deliver some well deserved payback to them made him feel more than a little put out. No sooner had he thought this though, then Smith spoke up from where he sat.

"Don't worry," the Spaniel said suddenly as if reading his mind. "He does it to me all the time."

Zach snorted slightly, smirking at him as he went and sat by John.

"How do you stand it?" he asked and Smith chuckled his thin, high-pitched laugh.

"By remembering that he's the soudaisho," he said. "And that he's only doing what he thinks is right."

Zach nodded, shrugging a little.

"I guess you're right," he said. "Besides, it must be tough getting challenged every time you turn around. You guys have it worse than we did back in Ibaraki."

Smith nodded, scanning the trees with his eyes.

"Tell me about it." he half groaned. "We knew we would have to deal with challenges after Akakabuto's defeat, but…I don't think anyone thought it would be this bad. Paradise is practically becoming a burden to us."

"Well," the Malamute said with another grin. "You can count on my help either way. Giving greedy, violent dogs a dose of reality used to be my specialty."

Smith laughed, the atmosphere already considerably lightened from before despite what was going on.

"We'll keep that in mind." he said. "For now though, I'll watch this side and you take the other. Keep on your guard."

Zach nodded and perked his ears up to listen for anything out of the ordinary. Regardless of whether he had wanted to go with Gin or not, he was going to take the defense of his comrade seriously, and nothing was going to get by him if he had anything to say about it. Suddenly, his senses began sending him mixed signals, and he knew immediately that something wasn't right.

"Zach," Smith called from over his shoulder and the Malamute cocked his head, scanning the treetops with wary eyes.

"What?" he called.

There was no answer from the Spaniel. In fact, after a few moments of silence, Zach realized that it had become much quieter than before. Frowning, he turned to look at his friend.

"Smith," he said. "What – "

He didn't get any more out. The second his eyes fixed on where Smith had been standing, they managed to register his limp form lying on the ground motionless before something hit him hard in the face and everything went black.

* * *

Gin looked left and right as he and the others reached the spot where John's attack had taken place, his youthful but wise eyes searching for any sign of the dogs responsible for the near murder of his best friend.

"Akame?" he asked, glancing expectantly at his white-furred companion.

The ninja-dog lowered his head to the dirt, sniffing at it briefly before raising himself again.

"I have a trail." he announced powerfully, "But…"

"But?" Chutora repeated curiously.

"Zach's description sounded like a ninja-dog." he said with a frown, sounding like he was talking more to himself than them. "Only they would know about the poison that was used on John."

"So?" Kurotora scoffed.

"So," Akame said patiently. "These scents aren't ninjas. They wouldn't leave a trail this easy to find. Whoever this is, they're heading towards Morioka."

"Could they be just passersby?" Gin asked and Akame shook his head.  
"The trail is fresh," he said. "I'd say they were here around the same time as the attack. At the very least they must've seen who it was."

"Let's go then," the Akita ordered, accepting his friend's analysis, and the 4 dogs took off running again towards the nearby village, their powerful bounds bringing their destination closer with every stride.

As a result, it didn't take them long to reach the outskirts of Morioka, and once they had, Gin warily scanned the sleepy little village carefully, looking for any sign of the dogs that had run back to it. It seemed bizarrely quiet, he thought, and the lack of any human presence told him that Morioka's inhabitants must have been off hunting or tending to something on the other side of town. His senses, however, also told him that trouble of some kind was stirring, and sure enough, as soon as they entered the village's main street, a small Corgi came timidly up to the fence of a nearby yard.

"Hey!" he hissed. "Psst!"

The Ohu group looked over at him as they heard his call, and Gin silently padded over to the fence, exchanging a glance with Chutora as he did.

"You need to get out of here!" the dog begged in a frightened voice as soon as he approached. "If Sid sees you he'll kill you!"

"Sid?" Kurotora repeated in a skeptical voice and the small dog nodded.

"He's a local stray that's taken over the town!" he said. "I just saw him down the road a minute ago. He's gathered a ton of his subordinates to him for some reason. If they see you, they'll attack!"

"Did they just come out of those woods within the last hour?" Gin asked in a stern tone and the dog nodded, looking around himself nervously.

"Yeah," he said, but then calmed himself a little. "Look…I know who you are. We pet dogs owe you a great debt for killing Akakabuto. I just wanted to warn you that you're walking into trouble."

"Thank you." Gin said with a gracious nod. "But we can take care of ourselves. Besides, we need to have a word with this 'Sid'."

"Oi!"

The group looked up as one in surprise and immediately laid eyes on a large pack of dogs coming down the street towards them, a brutal-looking Great Dane at their head. Gin could tell instantly that these were the dogs the Corgi had spoken of, and the bloodthirsty look they had about them told him just as quickly that the next few moments were going to be anything but peaceful. The Corgi gave them a frightened look from the other side of his fence.

"Like I said." he whispered quickly before darting back to the safety of his owner's home.

Gin, however, turned and walked towards the group determinedly, not seeming to care that it outnumbered theirs by about 4 to 1. The Great Dane stopped when his pack was about 15 feet away, a leering, toothy grin on his muzzle.

"Who the hell gave you permission to come into my territory?" he said rudely and Kurotora growled.

"This whole area belongs to Gin of Ohu!" he snapped. "Which is who you happen to be talking to, so learn some respect bastard!"

The Great Dane, Sid, bared his teeth.

"I don't give a shit who you are!" he said aggressively. "You come in here without my permission, I get to kill you! And guess what? You're here without my permission."

Gin stepped forward, looking uncharacteristically angry.

"One of my packmates was just attacked in the woods back there not too long ago." he said dangerously. "He nearly died. We have no quarrel with you, but we know that you were there. All we want to know is who attacked him. That's it. Then we'll leave. Do you know who it was?"

"I'll tell you what," Sid sneered as some of his packmates laughed tauntingly. "Become my subordinates and maybe I'll tell you."

"Don't hold your breath, asshole." Chutora snorted and Sid snarled in anger, looking almost taken aback by their complete lack of fear of him.

"How **dare** you talk to me that way!" he yelled, and then looked at his subordinates furiously. "Kill them!"

At that, the whole ragtag pack, which consisted mainly of strays and pet dogs, some formidable looking and some downright mangy, charged the outnumbered Ohu group, howling and snarling battle cries as they ran. Gin, meanwhile, had had enough. He turned to the others with an angry glare.

"Do it!" he barked and all four of them lunged forward as well, each readying his fangs for combat.

"This is what I've been waiting for, leader!" Kurotora whooped and as soon as the two groups came together, blood flying through the air as Gin's sharp fangs tore through a nearby dog's flesh like butter, he grabbed a Pit Bull mix by the neck and slammed him hard into a nearby wall, tearing his throat out in one swift motion seconds later with a sickening rip.

A few feet over, Akame leapt left and right, dodging bites and slashes with lightning speed and returning them with even greater force, sending their recipients hobbling away with gaping wounds and broken limbs. Gin himself couldn't even be touched, and the more Sid's group tried to get a hold of him, the worse it went for them. Throwing one opponent over to the waiting Chutora, who slashed his throat out instantly, the Akita ducked a bite at his face and head-butted its deliverer hard, hearing a loud 'CRACK' and a muffled yell as the dog's lower jaw broke from the impact. Then he grabbed him by the side of the neck and swung him around in an arc at his comrades, sending 5 or 6 flying backwards into nearby walls and fences. It was very clear that despite being outnumbered, the Ohu Army easily outclassed the non-soldier dogs, and in virtually no time at all, the other group was scattering madly to get away, dropping one by one if they got near their opponents. Finally, sporting a deep, bloody slash across his furred cheek, Sid turned and ran as well, stumbling as he darted into an alley and disappeared amongst the buildings. Akame at first tried to give chase, but when he saw that the Great Dane was gone, the ninja-dog turned and leapt on one of his nearby subordinates instead, a heavily scarred Labrador that choked mightily as he was bowled over onto his back and the Kishu's razor-sharp teeth sunk deep into his throat.

"Don't kill me, please!" he begged and Gin stalked up powerfully, glaring down at him with the Kai brothers at each of his sides.

"I told you." he said. "We're not here to kill you. You brought that fight on yourselves. But now that we have you, you're going to tell me who attacked John right now."

"I don't know!" the dog rasped through Akame's grip. "Some Hokkaido-ken! There's a whole group of 'em that lives in those woods! He looked like one of those ninja-dog bastards!"

"Why did they try and kill him?" Gin demanded. "Are they planning to challenge us for Ohu?"

The dog looked genuinely surprised.

"**You**?" he croaked, gasping for air as he did. "You have nothing to do with it. Neither does your territory."

Gin pulled back in confused surprise and exchanged a glance with Kurotora, who looked just as lost as he was. Then he looked back down at their captive.

"What do you mean?" he asked and the Labrador looked up at him, breathing a little easier as Akame loosened his grip a little.

"Look," he said in a desperate sounding voice. "The Boss just told me that they ordered him to gather everybody and attack you. He said we could do whatever we wanted to you. They knew you'd come here. They didn't want you anyway."

"Who **are** they after?" Kurotora snapped urgently and the dog panned his gaze to him.

"Some Malamute." he said. "They said he was traveling with you. That's all I know, I swear!"

Gin felt a rush of fear go through him and he met Akame's gaze as the ninja-dog released the Labrador, who quickly scampered away.

"Zach." he said in realization and Akame nodded, looking greatly concerned as he did.

"Maybe that poisoned branch wasn't aimed at John." he said and the Akita turned to Kurotora and Chutora.

"Back to the others!" he barked urgently. "Quickly!"

The two Kais nodded and immediately ran after him as he took off like a shot, the whole group keeping pace with him as he reentered the woods and wove back through the trees towards where they'd left Zach, John, and Smith, his powerful legs pumping furiously as he struggled to get back to them as quickly as possible. A little less than 5 minutes later, they approached the plateau where their friends were waiting, and as soon as they were close enough, Gin and the others leapt up onto it, the Akita's head whipping around quickly as he looked for any sign of his friends.

"John!" he yelled. "Smith! Zach!"

When no one answered though, he looked closer and his eyes focused on a limp form lying at the near edge of the plateau. It was John, he saw, and he didn't appear to have been moved or touched from when Gin had last seen him. Stuck into the ground near his head though, was another sharp branch, much like the one that had nearly killed him before, and for a moment, Gin panicked, smelling poison on it clearly and thinking that the Shepherd had been stabbed again and died before they could get back to him. Then, however, he saw his friend's side rising and falling in a clear sign of life, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, turning to Akame as he did. The ninja-dog, however, was around 10 feet away to his left. When he met Gin's gaze, his face looked serious.

"Leader," he said. "Smith is gone. There's a trail of blood over here."

"John seems to be all right." the Akita responded. "They must have left him with this poisoned branch as a taunt instead of taking him too."

Before Akame could say anything more though, another voice beat him to it.

"G-Gin…"

Gin looked over at Kurotora as he heard him, the atypical shakiness of his friend's voice greatly concerning him as he walked quickly over and joined him at the opposite end of the plateau. When he strode up beside him though, he saw the Kai dog looking down at something on the ground and followed his gaze immediately, dreading what he'd find. As soon as he **did** see it, he froze. Behind him, he heard Akame and Chutora come up as well, and their own silences told him more than any horrified words ever could.

"Oh my god…" he breathed, his stomach doing a near backflip as he realized that what he was looking at was in fact real.

Zach lay on his side on the plateau ground, unconscious and seemingly only mildly injured from a bloody welt above his left eye, where Gin suspected he had been hit to knock him out. Surrounding his limp form though, placed at almost identical intervals to form a circle around his body, were 7 decapitated heads, all of dogs, and all with their eyes pried open in eternal death stares to glare at him as he lay motionless in their center. What horrified Gin the most though, was that he recognized them, particularly the one directly in front of Zach's face, the first one the Malamute would see when he awoke. Behind him, Chutora broke the silence.

"Who the hell are these guys?" he asked in a quiet, shaky voice and Gin knew immediately that he hadn't meant the dead dogs in front of them.

He didn't answer though, and turned to Akame quickly.

"Akame," he said in the strongest tone he could muster. "We need to get Zach out of here now. We can't let him see – "

Suddenly though, as if it was all a cruel game, Zach let out a pained moan and began to awaken, his eyes fluttering open before any of them realized it was happening.

"Ohhhhhh…" he groaned. "Smith… What?"

Gin panicked, rushing forward at the same time Akame did. They both quickly pulled the Malamute to his feet, the other dog letting out a surprised yelp as he felt it, and began half-dragging him away from the area, helping support him as he struggled momentarily to regain his footing.

"Gin?" Zach asked in shocked surprise. "Akame? What are you – What the hell's going on?"

"Zach," the Akita started. "Why don't you come over here and – "

"I'm fine." the Malamute said irritatedly, trying unsuccessfully to shrug him off. "Why are you pulling me over here? What the hell…happened?"

Gin felt him stop resisting them as his voice trailed off and nearly winced as he looked sideways and saw Zach's gaze fixed over his shoulder on the heads, Kurotora and Chutora's attempts to block his view coming too little too late. His eyes shot instantly to the head that Gin had recognized the most and he saw the Malamute's eyes widen in horror, his muscles tensing up completely as he seemed to pale beneath his fur. When he spoke, his voice was weak and almost child-like, the confusion in it making Gin's sympathy and pity for him hit a whole new level.

"D-Dad…?" Zach said in a trembling voice and then started shaking his head slowly, as if not believing it was actually real.

Gin wished he had been faster to get him out of there. The severed head of Riley of Ibaraki sat just in front of where Zach had lay, flanked by others from his pack, some of which Gin remembered from when they had stopped there all those months ago. His eyes, like all the others, were wide and blankly staring, and Zach's legs nearly gave way beneath him as he let out a moan of disbelief, struggling immediately against his friends' grips as he tried to get over to the remains of his former comrades.

"No!" he screamed as Gin and Akame struggled to restrain him. "NO! FATHER! OH SHIT, NO! NO!"

Gin immediately knocked him to the ground hard, forcing his head to turn away from the grisly sight as he, Akame, and Kurotora pinned him down, none of them knowing what to say, or how long they would have to remain there until he calmed. It didn't matter either way to Gin. As far as he was concerned, the situation needed careful examining, as it had just gotten far, far worse than it had been before.

* * *

The cave walls were wet and dripping, glistening in the dim light as groundwater trickled down from the dirt and stone above their heads, sliding through the jagged cracks and into little pools at their feet, which meant that they all had to watch where they stepped. Despite this, the cave was more than suitable to rest in, and rest and calm was exactly what the Ohu Army needed at that moment, if only to cool their heads for a minute or two. Gin glanced over at John, who still was asleep, as he sat in its center, waiting for Akame to ensure that no one had followed them or was watching to see what they did next. The young leader was almost positive that their enemies **hadn't** tailed them, but after what had happened, he wasn't taking any chances.

After hastily burying the heads, they had found the cave while moving to safer ground, and had quickly ducked inside, fighting the almost overwhelming desire to go searching for the missing, and possible hurt, Smith, in favor of first figuring out what the hell was going on. A few feet away from the Akita, sitting together and talking in quieter voices than he was used to hearing from them, were Kurotora and Chutora, their faces simultaneously worried and angry, a look, he assumed, he was wearing as well. Though he was very anxious about Smith, as the Spaniel was one of his closest friends in the world, he was almost more worried about Zach, who had calmed down much faster than Gin had expected him to, following them willingly instead of having to be knocked and carried by force. He hadn't said a word the entire time, and as the Akita glanced over at him, sitting by the opposite wall, looking out at the world with a blank, unblinking stare, he realized that nothing had changed in the time since they'd arrived. He sighed lightly, looking back at the ground between his front paws. He knew what losing a father felt like, how much it hurt, and was greatly concerned by the Malamute's reaction to it all. The other male hadn't shed so much as a single tear over the incident, and now appeared to be nearly catatonic, barely acknowledging the existence of his friends or the world around him as he sat in his spot away from the rest of them. Suddenly, Akame walked back over and Gin snapped out of his reverie, gesturing to him with his head and walking over to the Kai brothers by the wall. Then Gin looked at the Kishu.

"Anything?" he asked and Akame shook his head.

"No." he said. "We definitely weren't followed."

"Good." he responded with a relieved sigh and Kurotora looked at him.

"Leader," he said. "We need to find Smith. God knows what these bastards are doing to him."

"We don't even know who they are, Kuro." Chutora reminded his brother and the younger Kai frowned in annoyance.

"So we figure it out." he said. "It can't be that hard. That subordinate of Sid's in Morioka said that they're Hokkaido-kens, and we know they're ninjas. That's gotta narrow it down a lot."

"There aren't any ninja clans in this area." Akame replied. "At least not anymore. And even if there were, why would they want to hurt Zach?"

"Whoever they are," Gin said. "They definitely have a deep grudge against him."

Akame nodded in agreement and Kurotora met his gaze confusedly.

"But why not just kill him then?" he asked. "Why all…that?"

"They want him to suffer," Akame explained in a quiet voice. "Killing him is one thing. But decapitating his father and friends and then sending him their heads is something else entirely. That's cruelty to a level I haven't seen since Kurojaki. It's psychological warfare. Whatever this is about, it's personal."

"Maybe is has to do with when he was 'The Mastermind'." Chutora suggested and Gin nodded in agreement.

"It has to." he said. "But given how many dogs he killed, it could be anything."

"Leader," Kurotora said. "What are we gonna do?"

Gin sighed deeply, mentally weighing his options.

"Search the woods for Smith." he said. "That's all we can do. If we don't find him soon, we're going to have to call for backup from Ohu, and maybe Mutsu as well."

"What about him?" the Kai dog added and Gin followed his gaze to Zach, who still hadn't moved from his spot.

"I don't know." he admitted, feeling a strange rush of guilt upon even looking at his friend.

Kurotora met his gaze concernedly.

"Gin," he said quietly. "I'm worried about him. He hasn't cried once since we found his father's head. He's barely reacted at all."

Part of Gin was surprised that the younger Kai brother was even capable of that kind of empathy, but before he could answer, Chutora beat him to it.

"Maybe he just deals with it differently." he suggested and Gin shook his head.

"No." he said. "Nobody can deal with something that traumatic this calmly. I'm worried about him too. I think he's still in shock, but…if he doesn't let it out then sooner or later he's gonna blow. That's the last thing we need right now, especially given what he's capable of."

"If I may, Leader." Akame interrupted. "I think the safest thing right now would be to leave him here to look after John while we search for Smith."

Gin nodded.

"I was thinking that too." he said. "Either way, we should start our search now before – "

Suddenly, they heard a stirring coming from behind them and all turned in surprise, seeing a long overdue sight once they did.

"John!" Gin exclaimed in a relieved tone. "You're awake!"

The Shepherd's eyes had fluttered open only seconds ago, and he shook his head slightly as he pushed himself from his side to his stomach, raising his front a little to look at his friends as he did. Akame looked the other male over quickly, as if ensuring that he was okay.

"How do you feel?" he asked and John scowled slightly.

"Like I did after I got my ass kicked by Riki." he said bluntly and Gin smirked, strangely appreciative of the humor at that moment. "What happened?"

"The branch that stabbed you was poisoned." the Kishu responded. "You nearly died. If Zach hadn't been there to call for help so quickly, you would have."

John snorted, taking this news in stride.

"Poison, huh?" he said. "I knew that bastard was a fucking coward. I assume Zach's okay then."

Gin and the others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Physically maybe." Chutora responded and John raised an eyebrow.

"I miss something?" he asked and Gin nodded down at him uncomfortably.

He then proceeded to bring the Shepherd up to speed on everything that had happened in his absence, from Smith's abduction to the grisly fate of Zach's father and former comrades. By the time he was done, John looked just as shocked as they had been.

"They did **what**?" he exclaimed. "Why?"

Kurotora shrugged and Gin stood at the same time the Shepherd did.

"We don't know." he said, "But we were about to start searching for Smith anyway. You ready?"

John snorted, looking half-insulted at the implication that he ever **wasn't** ready.

"Feh!" he said. "Of course I'm ready! They're not gonna put down John of Ohu with one hit. I wouldn't be worthy to call myself a leader."

Then the Shepherd's ears perked up and his head panned left and right as its owner looked around the cave.

"Where **is** Zach, anyway?" he asked. "He need some time alone? Not that I'd blame him if he did."

Gin frowned in confusion and looked around to where Zach was sitting…and saw only an empty spot on the ground where he had been before. Leaping to his feet in alarm, he saw Akame do the same next to him, both of them looking around urgently for any sign of the Malamute. He was nowhere in sight.

"Shit!" the Kishu swore and Kurotora appeared at his side at the cave entrance.

"Where the hell could he have gone?" he asked and Chutora glanced at him from his other side.

"How did he get away from us so quick?" he wondered aloud and Akame glanced at him from near the wall.

"He's fast when he wants to be." he replied. "The question is: where is he going?"

"Probably to hunt down the bastards responsible for all this." John said, a newly rejuvenated look on his face. "We should go after him."

Gin nodded quickly in agreement.

"Everyone," he said. "Let's go! If the trails separate, you keep searching the woods for Smith and his attackers. I'll look for Zach. Remember, whoever these dogs are, if they're this violent than they probably can't be reasoned with. If they don't surrender, then for the sake of peace…they need to die."

"Gladly," Kurotora said with a cocky grin. "Well said, leader."

Gin didn't acknowledge the compliment and instead took off running back towards the forest.

"Let's move!" he shouted over his shoulder and the others chorused a "Yes!" after him, all of them following in his wake and leaving the cave behind.

* * *

"Please sir! Don't kill me! D-Don't – "

The dog's words were cut off in a scream of pain as Sid's fangs tore through his throat, his lifeless body flying sideways into the wall of the abandoned hunting shack they were inside, away from where anyone in Morioka could hear. The Great Dane was in a rage, his tongue occasionally licking at the painful wound in his cheek that Gin's fangs had torn during their fight not too long ago. Now, his subordinates all scattered, fearful of his wrath at their failure as blood dripped down the fur around his muzzle.

"Damn those Ohu shits!" he snarled. "No one does that to me in my own territory! No one!"

He turned to a nearby group, which cowered at the glare he gave them.

"Gather everyone together!" he yelled. "We're gonna find that bastard Gin and make him regret this!"

"B-But sir!" a nearby mutt said shakily, sporting some still-bleeding wounds of his own. "They're the Ohu Army! We can't beat them!"

"Shut up!" Sid screamed. "Do it or I'll hunt down your fucking families! Now go!"

The others cowered back even further, and turned to run out of the room immediately in fear. Suddenly though, a new, deadlier voice made itself known.

"No." it said. "**Don't** go. I have a bone to pick with you first."

The dogs all stopped in their tracks, and Sid whirled towards the sound, glaring angrily at the shape standing in the doorway as soon as he saw it.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked furiously. "How dare you override my orders! You much have a death wish, bastard!"

The dog padded slowly into the room and as soon as he was in a better light, Sid could see that it was a large Malamute, the one that had been traveling with Gin. A truly bloodthirsty look was on his face as he scanned the room with his eyes, and before anyone could say anything else, he panned his gaze to the group of subordinates by the opposite door.

"Answer me truthfully and I'll let you live." he said in a low, threatening voice. "Is **he** Sid?"

He nodded at the Great Dane in question and for a moment, the other dogs looked unsure of what to do. Then one nodded timidly. The Malamute turned and glared murderously at Sid.

"Get out." he said to the others without looking at them. "Come back and you're dead."

They all quickly ran from the shack, and Sid snarled angrily at the dog. Having his authority usurped was more than he could stand. Teeth bared, he lunged at the dog, thinking of how sweet it would taste when it lay at his feet, bleeding onto the floor from its torn throat. Suddenly, the dog was gone, and Sid felt a sharp, explosive pain erupt in his face as all sight snuffed out in his left eye. Letting out a loud whine, he fell to the ground and clawed at his face, swearing at the dog in between his yells.

"Ahhhh!" he screamed. "You bastard! You – "

He was cut off as the Malamute hit him hard from the side and rolled him forcibly onto his back, stamping a paw down on his throat as he did and cutting off all his air in the process. When he looked up in fear, the dog was looming over him, a vindictive look in his eyes. Then he leaned in close to Sid's face.

"Here's how the immediate future is going to go for you." he whispered, the furious quaver in his voice unmistakable. "You're going to tell me who it was that killed my father. If you do, I'll kill you quickly. If you don't, I'm going to take my sweet time ripping you limb from limb. Then, you are going to crawl into a corner somewhere, and spend the last few moments of your pitiful life in utter agony and shame, wishing you had never met me."

Then he put his muzzle close to the Great Dane's ear.

"Now…" he said softly. "Who was it?"

Sid bared his fangs at him defiantly.

"Fuck you." he said.

The Malamute looked him right in the eyes, and his look suggested somehow that he had expected this response.

"Wrong answer." he said.

In the forest around the hunting shack, Mitsuo heard shrieks of pain begin erupting from inside crumbling building, and turned to his leader, who stood only a few feet away.

"It's him, sir." he said, and the tall dog nodded, turning to head back to the temple in the woods.

"I know." he responded. "Let him come…let him come."

* * *

Gin sniffed at the ground, getting traces of Zach's scent here and there as he made his way back towards the woods away from Morioka. His instincts had led him back to the human village, where the same Corgi from before had told him of the hunting shack where Sid's hideout was…and where he had sent Zach only a short time ago when he'd come asking. The Akita suspected that the Malamute must have overheard Sid's name when Kurotora had mentioned it back in the cave, and increased his pace once more, seeing no trace of his friend as he looked around.

"Zach!" he called. "Zach, answer me! That's an order!"

There was no response, but right as he was about to turn in another direction, he saw it through the trees. The hunting shack was run down and decrepit, crumbling in parts and covered with moss, but canine scents were all over it, and as Gin stepped into the clearing that surrounded it, he was on high alert, every muscle tense as he prepared for a possible attack.

"Zach?" he called again in a wary voice, looking for any sign of movement as he awaited an answer.

The voice that did respond, however, was not the one he had been expecting.

"Gin!"

The Akita glanced over at the opposite side of the clearing and saw John trotting out of the trees, looking just as surprised to see him as Gin was.

"John!" he called back, walking quickly up to him. "I thought you were looking for Smith."

"I am," the Shepherd replied, glancing at the shack as he did. "I was searching this area. Akame's taking the treetops and the Kais are over there."

He had nodded over his shoulder as he said it and suddenly sniffed at the air.

"I smell blood, Gin." he said. "A lot of it."

"I know." the Akita answered, having scented it long ago, and then gestured to him. "Let's go. Quickly."

John nodded and, moving at a brisk but careful pace, the pair walked around to the shack's front entrance, which now was only a doorless frame that invited anyone in who wanted to come past it's threshold. Inside it was dark, and it was only after he heard a low, pained moan that Gin rushed into it, fully ready to fight if need be. What he saw instead made his jaw drop in shock for the second time that day. Two severed legs and a tail lay on the middle of the floor inside the shack, looking like they had been ripped forcefully off their owner and then tossed aside. The dog they belonged to dangled right above them from a rusty meat hook nailed into the ceiling, something Gin suspected the humans had used to store their kills after hunts. He saw immediately that it was Sid, and though he had thought before that the brutal hooligan deserved to be punished, what Zach had done was, in his eyes, going way too far. The meat hook was speared through the Great Dane's lower jaw, and he dangled from it above a pool of his own blood, the red liquid dripping steadily from the stumps that used to be his legs and tail. Truthfully, Gin was amazed he was still alive, and knew that he had to act fast, as the mortally wounded dog would be dead within moments in his condition. Ignoring John's gasp of "Holy shit…" behind him, Gin leapt up on a nearby shelf and forcibly yanked the hook out of the rotting wood that held it, thankful that it had been as easy as it was. Then, as John removed it from the trembling Sid's jaw, he leaned in close to the dying dog.

"The dog that did this to you." he said quietly. "Where did you send him? I promise you I'll end your suffering, but you need to tell me where he went. Where is it?"

Sid choked a little, coughing up blood as he stared at the wall through half closed eyes.

"…Temple…" he managed weakly. "…in woods…sun carving…Hattori…"

Then, before he could say any more, a shudder went through his tortured body and his head dropped lifelessly to the dirt floor. He was dead. Gin and John stood at the same time and the Shepherd looked at Gin intensely, as if he'd had a great revelation.

"I know where that is!" he said. "Zach and I found it the other day before I was attacked. But I thought the Hattori ninja clan was wiped out!"

"That's what Akame said." Gin agreed. "How could **they** have anything to do with this?"

Then, he got a revelation of his own and looked at his best friend.

"Wait." he said. "**How** exactly were they wiped out?"

John scoffed.

"I don't know." he said. "Akame just said they were. Why?"

"If I remember right," Gin replied intensely. "He told me that they just vanished, that they had left to go somewhere as a pack and never came back. What if…they went to Ibaraki?"

John straightened up in realization.

"That would explain their grudge against Zach," he said after a pause, looking almost disappointed that he hadn't thought of it first. "If he killed most of them as 'Mastermind', then these ones must be the remnants of the clan. They blame him for what happened to their comrades, so they're taking revenge."

"And at the same time, they're attacking us for taking him in." Gin finished with a nod. "Akame was right. It's psychological warfare. Come on!"

John didn't even bother to respond and the two sprinted out of the shack and back into the woods as quickly as their legs could take them, intent on finding the others and then getting to their destination to end the madness once and for all.

* * *

Zach felt hollow as he stood facing the temple, getting the distinct sense as he stared at it that it was glaring back at him, judging him for the sins of his past. A million different emotions were running through his head at once, and as the blood from his gore-soaked fur dripped into a pool at his feet, he readied himself for combat. Disgust at himself for what he had done to Sid warred with guilt and sorrow over his father's fate, and as he prepared to enter the building, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to dismiss them from his mind.

'Father,' he thought. 'I've failed you. I wasn't there to protect you because of what I did. Please forgive this fool one last evil deed to avenge you. Then rest in peace.'

Then, taking a deep, furious breath, he stalked forward up the creaking, wooden stairs and nosed open the great door to the temple, silence awaiting him from inside as he did. Only once he was safely past its threshold did its inhabitants make themselves known.

"I've been waiting for you to come." came a voice from the darkness, and Zach's ears perked up at once. "We have some things to settle, you and I."

"Well, here I am bastard." the Malamute responded. "And once this is done, you're gonna wish to god you'd never provoked me, never hurt my family and friends."

"**I** provoked **you**?" the voice scoffed, and Zach could hear as he walked down a large narrow hallway, lined with wooden partitions on either side, that it was in a new location. "I thought that in your code, revenge was justified. It is in mine. And given your crime against my flesh and blood, you deserve everything you get boy."

"My crime?" Zach frowned, looking left and right for the voice's source. "What the hell did I ever do to you? Who **are** you for that matter?"

"My name is Tetsu." the voice responded. "Leader of the Hattori Ninja Dogs. And as for what you did…just listen closely."

Suddenly, Zach saw a flash out of the corner of his eye and something barreled into him hard from the side, sending him flying through one of the wooden partitions and into the room beyond it, scattering splinters everywhere as he landed. Remembering his training though, he leapt immediately back to his paws, but the dog was already gone, having disappeared into the dim light and many obstacles the temple had to offer.

"This place is full of ghosts." Tetsu said from wherever he was. "If you listen maybe you'll hear them. I do. Maybe they'll tell you about the final journey of my clan, and of the dog they ran into where they went…little 'Mastermind' of Ibaraki."

Before Zach could open his mouth, something long and sharp, a broken wooden beam, he assumed, swung from out of the dark and sliced him up the cheek, making him cry out in pain long enough to get grabbed by the hind leg and thrown sideways through another wooden divider, back into the hallway he had been in in the first place. Zach shook his head and stood, blood streaming down the side of his face.

"Come out here and fight, you coward!" he yelled. "I'll even take your subordinates at this point if it'll get me to you!"

"The few comrades you left me with are off dealing with your friends." Tetsu responded from a new location. "We won't be bothered here."

"I never killed your comrades!" Zach shouted. "The dogs I killed in Ibaraki were thugs, violent hooligans at best. There were no ninjas there. The dogs I killed deserved it!"

Though once he would have meant this sincerely, Zach now said it only to provoke the ninja dog leader out of hiding, a plan that worked almost too well. His newly tuned instincts went wild, having gotten the feel of the temple down a little better, but Tetsu was far more skilled than him, and when he hit him from the front with a snarl of fury, clamping his jaws down on the Malamute's throat like a vice as he did, Zach couldn't stop him. The impact bowled him over onto his back, and he quickly grabbed the other dog by the shoulders with his front legs and dragged him with him, sending them both rolling into a nearby room. Tetsu, however, was in a rage of his own.

Jerking his head sideways, he ripped a chunk of flesh from Zach's neck and then went to work on him as they stumbled over each other's legs, slashing him left and right across the face and chest with his razor sharp fangs and dodging any return hits the Malamute tried to send his way. Aware that he was losing, Zach decided desperately to change the game. Faking a lunge at Tetsu's face, he instead threw a wooden shard at his legs and grabbed him by the neck as he jumped to avoid it. Then, before the ninja-dog could counter him, he tackled him backwards into what looked like a small shrine and began slamming the Hokkaido-ken's face down on the edge of a wooden stare, shaking him left and right violently and biting down on him as hard as he could, thinking of his father as blood streamed from around his teeth. Suddenly though, Tetsu pushed off from the floor with great force and sent them careening into the nearby wall, where an ancient collection of knives and swords hung like forgotten relics. As they hit it, he twisted at the last second, and Zach let out a whine of great pain as he felt their sharp metal points stab into his back, sliding off them onto the floor moments later. Then Tetsu stood over him panting, bleeding from a wound below his right eye.

"My comrades were passing through your territory to get to Shikoku." he said brutally as Zach heard the telltale sounds of another fight beginning outside, and knew immediately that Gin and the others had arrived and were engaging the Hokkaido-ken's subordinates. "My mate and young son were with them. They got caught up by accident in one of your twisted little ambushes and you dropped a fucking cliffside on them! My son was only 6 months old! 6 MONTHS OLD!"

The rush of shock that Zach felt at this revelation was more painful than the knives that had cut him and he shook his head in disbelief.

"No…" he said, dropping his guard for a moment. "I only killed bad dogs. I never killed any innocents."

"My life fell apart after they died!" Tetsu continued as if he hadn't even spoken. "Only 5 of us were left, and we didn't know what to do. Now there's only 4. You robbed me of **everything** I had! I could've done the same to you and killed that little bastard brother of yours too, but I wanted you both to feel what I felt when I had to mourn my own flesh and blood! You say you only killed bad dogs? I'd love to see what dogs were worse than you. What makes you any fucking different from them?"

"I – I've changed. I didn't mean…"

"You didn't mean it?" Tetsu howled. "Of course you fucking meant it!"

With that, he grabbed Zach again and hurled him as hard as he could at a nearby window, sending his already bloodied body smashing through it and onto the ledge beyond, a ledge that ended at the steep cliff Zach had seen before when they had first arrived in the area. Trembling and bleeding from all over, he pushed himself to a laying position. Somehow, though he didn't want to believe it, he knew that what the ninja dog was saying was 100% true. He saw the Hokkaido-ken stalking slowly towards him from the rear of the temple, and the loathing on the other male's face only made him hate himself even more for what he had inadvertently done. Suddenly, before either could say another word to each other, Gin, John, Akame, and the others came sprinting out from the inside of the temple, each sporting fresh wounds but determined looks on their faces. Running alongside them, looking angry but relatively unharmed, was Smith, and Zach felt a momentary rush of relief that his friend was all right, assumedly having been found restrained somewhere inside. Gin saw the situation and made an immediate move to lunge at Tetsu's back, but Zach suddenly sat up a little taller.

"No!" he yelled. "Wait, Gin!"

The Akita stopped in confusion, and Kurotora looked at Zach like he had grown a second head.

"What do mean 'wait'?" he demanded. "This bastard deserves to be punished! We've already dealt with his friends, now let's take care of him!"

Zach looked at Tetsu, who was ignoring the Ohu soldiers entirely, and let out a deep, ragged sigh. Then he rolled onto his back and exposed his throat to the other male.

"Kill me." he said and the others let out gasps of shock.

"Zach," John growled. "What are you saying?"

The Malamute kept his gaze fixed on Tetsu's.

"If my death will bring you any peace" he said softly. "Then I offer it to you…as payment for what I did. I never meant to hurt your family, I swear it. I'm so sorry."

Tetsu shook his head, snorting slightly as he did.

"If I wanted you dead," he said, walking slowly past him as he lay there. "I would've killed you a long time ago. No…I want you to live, and remember every day for the rest of your miserable life what you did, what you are…what you **always** will be."

Then he stepped up to the cliff's edge and Zach stood up quickly at the same time Gin stepped forward in alarm.

"What are you – " he started, and Tetsu looked back at him one more time, a few tears streaming down his furred cheek as he did.

"You live with it." he said.

Then he stepped forward and dropped out of sight over the edge, no one anywhere near close enough to grab him. Moments later, there was silence. Standing behind, Gin looked worriedly at Zach, who stood for a long time staring at the cliff's edge, his back turned to them. Then, without a word to his friends, the Malamute turned and walked back the way he'd come, head low and eyes on the ground as he took stumbling steps back through the temple and into the forest beyond it, never looking back once as he did. Gin turned and exchanged a concerned glance with Akame. Then he looked at Smith.

"Smith," he said. "Are you all right?"

The Spaniel nodded.

"Yeah," he said quietly, staring after Zach. "They just knocked me out."

Gin nodded and then turned to Akame and John.

"Go back to where our trail was when we first came here." he said in a low voice. "I'll meet up with you later."

Then, seeing the Kishu nod at him, he turned and bounded after Zach, catching up to him in almost no time at all. As he did, he matched the Malamute's pace, keeping his eyes on the heavily wounded other dog as he continued to move slowly through the trees around them. Neither said a word to each other, and eventually, after walking for a little bit, they arrived back at the plateau from earlier, where Gin and the others had buried Zach's father and friends. As soon as he was on it, Zach limped up to the mound where they rested eternally and came to a halt. Then, finally reaching his breaking point, he collapsed to the ground on top it and began to sob, draping his leg over his muzzle in a pitiful attempt to hide it.

Sighing deeply, and feeling tears welling in his own eyes, Gin silently padded over and laid down next to him, resting his head gently on the back of the other male's neck and holding him close with his front leg. That was all that needed to be said. For a long while, the two lay there, and Gin waited patiently for his emotionally damaged friend to calm down, wondering silently if he would ever be the same again once he had.

* * *

Gin stood at the edge of the group, watching silently as Kurotora and Chutora both drifted off to sleep, their bodies curled into balls as they tried to keep themselves warm from the cool night wind. A day had passed and they were right at the edge of the Mutsu territory, having put some distance between where they had been and where they were now. Gin himself, meanwhile, had a lot of thoughts running through his mind. It had taken a long time for Zach to calm down enough to leave, and once he had, nobody knew what to say to him, none of them wanting to intrude too closely on a pain as deep as his. The Akita was exhausted, having kept watch over the Malamute all day to ensure that he didn't try something crazy like killing himself, and now that it was night, he was looking forward to finally getting some rest. All that was needed was one last report from Akame. As if on cue, the Kishu leapt out of a treetop to his left and landed beside him gracefully, John padding up next to Gin from the other side. The Ohu leader looked worriedly at him.

"What's the word?" he asked and Akame looked at him with a weary, sad gaze.

"Our scout just sent word from Ibaraki." he responded quietly. "James is all right. He's taken over command of the pack. Despite his age and lack of experience, they seem to be doing well, especially under the circumstances. He might actually be a good leader."

"And Zach?" Gin asked, cocking his head slightly, and Akame shook his with a ragged sigh.

"No." he said. "He wants nothing to do with him. I think he blames him for their father's death. Told us to tell him to never come back."

Gin clenched his eyes shut sadly, nodding once he had.

"All right." he sighed and John looked at him.

"What should we do with him, Gin?" he asked and the Akita looked over at the sleeping Malamute, who was tossing and turning as he lay by Chutora a few feet away, his wounds already on the mend.

"We'll take him in." Gin said. "I can't just kick him out after everything he's been through with us. Hopefully we can get him back to how he was before all this happened."

"Leader," Akame said, interrupting. "You should get some sleep. We'll arrive at Kisaragi's home base by tomorrow. We can figure out the rest of this then."

Gin nodded again, grateful for the suggestion and John looked at Akame.

"You too, Akame." he said, and the ninja dog met his gaze. "I'll take the first watch. I slept enough recently as it is."

Akame looked for a moment like he had a mind to object, but agreed anyway and lay down beside Gin, both of them already asleep mere moments after they'd closed their eyes. Once they had, John looked around at their surroundings, making sure this time that they had no more unexpected surprises to disturb them. As he did this, he caught sight of Zach turning in his sleep again and frowned slightly, watching him for a moment as he did it. Then, after making sure that his friends were really asleep, the prideful German Shepherd padded silently over and rested a paw gently on the Malamute's shoulder, watching as his movement stopped almost instantly and his sleep became peaceful once more. Satisfied, John walked back over to the other edge of the group and settled down without a word, intending to keep a close watch on his friends until they all woke up in the morning.


	8. Story 8: The Enemy

**Author's Note: **Chapter 8! This one focuses on Smith, and I took it's plot loosely from an episode of Star Trek: TNG. I know, I'm a nerd right? XD Please review (no matter what you thought) and I hope you like it! Also, thanks to **Fangthewolfdog** for reviewing the last chapter! I appreciate it!

* * *

Uzuki watched the rocky hills carefully, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement amongst the trees that dotted their crests. The afternoon sun shone down on him brightly from directly overhead, and made the day a deceivingly nice one, the kind that his clan loved to see in their mountainous home of Mutsu. Today though, it was doing nothing to improve his mood.

'God damn that Dengen.' he thought furiously. 'If he tries anything, anything at all, I'll send him straight down to hell's gates!'

The Siberian Husky clenched his jaws tightly together. He was very proud of his home territory, and the idea of someone else claiming that it was rightfully theirs instead made his blood boil. He and his brothers had all but broken their backs to create a peaceful home for themselves and their clan, from fighting local strays to claim it to joining up with the Ohu Army for the now legendary war against Akakabuto, and they more than deserved to reap the rewards for their hard work and sacrifice. Instead though, they had gotten Dengen. The wolf and his pack had shown up seemingly from nowhere a few weeks ago, like leeches crawling out the mud, and Uzuki and the others had hit quite a large snag in their peace. Now he had to resort to guarding the path that led to their main base personally, in case the stubborn Dengen decided that he was sick of running his mouth and wanted some action instead. Uzuki gave the hills another once-over with his hard gaze, and seeing nothing again, snorted loudly.

'Looks like another uneventful day.' he thought. 'How boring.'

The Mutsu general stretched his neck and sat down, intent to rest until something worth his time happened. As he did though, someone padded up next to him, their paws rustling the grass as they moved, and Uzuki recognized one of his brother's subordinates, Sai, when he looked.

"Anything sir?" the Belgian Shepherd asked, following his commander's gaze, and Uzuki shook his head lightly.

"No." he responded, the contempt in his voice obvious. "If Dengen knows what's good for him, he'll stay up in those mountains and leave us alone."

"Somehow I doubt he's that smart." Sai said, scratching at an itch with his hind leg.

The Husky smirked slightly.

"Let's hope so," he said, "I'd love some action right about now."

At those words, there was a loud rustling in the trees on the top of the hill to their left, and both males turned towards it immediately, ears perking up attentively as they looked for the source of the sound. A dozen feet away, another of the Mutsu clan's guards crept closer, and after a few moments of silence, Uzuki called to him, regaining his feet once more.

"Anything?"

The dog quickly examined the area and then shook his head.

"No sir." he replied loudly. "False alarm."

Uzuki scowled and then turned and began pacing, walking slowly and wondering what Kisaragi and the rest of his brothers were busy doing.

'Probably something more exiting than this.' he thought ruefully and heard Sai once again fall in step beside him.

"Is it true, sir?" he asked. "That Gin and the Ohu Army are coming here?"

Uzuki nodded.

"From what I've heard, yes." he said. "And they should be here soon, maybe today. If only we had a peaceful territory to greet them with."

"Maybe they can get rid of Dengen for us." Sai suggested with a grin and Uzuki huffed irritatedly.

"We're soldiers of Mutsu!" he responded in an insulted sounding voice. "We take care of our own problems! How could we call ourselves real males if we had to rely on our friends to deal with our fights for us?"

"Sir," Sai said, backing up a few steps. "I meant no offense. I just – "

Suddenly, there was a loud, deep growl behind them and a pained yelp followed it, making both dogs whirl around towards it in surprise, wide-eyed and caught off guard. The guard that had spoken before was gone, Uzuki saw immediately, and already others near them were charging into the trees after where he had presumably disappeared to, howling battle yells as they ran. He immediately leapt after them.

"Dengen!" he shouted ferociously. "I'm Uzuki of Mutsu! Come and fight me!"

There was no answer and more yelps and howls of pain pierced the air from right in front of him through the trees, making the Siberian Husky charge past them into the clearing beyond, fangs bared and battle ready. When his gaze fell on his opponent though, he skidded instantly to a halt, his jaw open in shock. He had been wrong. The attacker in front of them wasn't Dengen…it wasn't even canine…and Uzuki was so startled by it's sudden appearance that he barely reacted when Sai came running through the trees past him and got immediately sliced clean in half by one swipe of the creature's great paw, his blood and entrails splattering out onto the dirt as he flopped to the ground and lay still, his dead eyes wide with both pain and surprise. When a second of his troops met the same fate, however, Uzuki snapped back to reality and howled to the remaining soldiers gathered with him.

"Retreat and regroup!" he shouted hoarsely, "Everyone, fall back!"

Dodging another swipe from their opponent, Uzuki grabbed one of his troops by the back of the neck and made an immediate dash through the trees back towards where Kisaragi and the others were resting.

'I have to warn my brother!' he thought urgently. 'Before Gin and the others get here! I have to – '

Suddenly, a tree in front of him came crashing to the ground, and the Mutsu commander skidded to a halt once more as the creature somehow appeared in front of him, roaring angrily in his face as another of his troops stopped nearby as well. Then it's great paw descended once more and Uzuki quickly shoved his packmate out of the way as hard as he could, saving his life but putting himself directly in it's path instead. Moments later, sharp claws tore viciously into his flank and a shockwave of pain hit him all at once, making a loud whine of pain escape his throat as he fell sideways onto the ground near a tall, twisted tree a few feet away.

'Brother,' he thought. 'Brother…"

Then Uzuki of Mutsu knew no more.

* * *

Smith sniffed at the air as he and the others rounded a bend in the path, their course taking them closer and closer to the home base of the Mutsu clan with every step they took. They had passed into the neighboring northern territory earlier the previous day, and had quickly managed to remember the route that would lead them to where Kisaragi and his 300 strong subordinates made their home.

'It's a nice day.' the Spaniel thought, feeling the sun warming his back pleasantly. 'Perfect conditions for a reunion of old friends. If only the circumstances were different…'

Smith glanced over his shoulder. Walking silently behind him, an expression on his face that seemed to suggest he wanted to lay down somewhere and die, was Zach, and the Spaniel instantly felt a pang of sympathy for the younger dog as he turned back to the path ahead of him, getting totally ignored by the Malamute in the process. This wasn't abnormal, as Zach had ignored pretty much everyone since they had departed the area around Morioka, and Smith was truly at a loss as to how to help him start the healing process. He had tried enticing him into a few brief hunts, if only to give him some sense of normalcy after what had happened, but Zach had always turned him down with a shake of his head, moving to sit alone at the edge of the group while Gin and the others talked amongst themselves nearby. He wasn't alone in his failure though.

Everyone had tried at one point or another to get the Malamute to talk to them, but no one as of yet had been successful, and eventually they had all decided to give Zach some more time to himself before trying again. No one could blame him for the way he was acting, with even John toning back the smug remarks and insults to a bare minimum, but his behavior still worried them nonetheless. Smith knew what losing a parent felt like, as he had lost both of his when he was very young, but losing literally everything you had left was something that he couldn't even fathom. Sure, Zach still had them, but with his father dead, his only sibling hating his guts, and his own clan not wanting him back, what did he even have left to fight for? It was good that they were all there to watch over him, whether he wanted it or not, but Smith was still anxious over what the future held for his friend…and them. Zach was unpredictable at to say the least, even at his best, and one thing that he knew they were all secretly concerned about was the thought of him reverting back into his 'Mastermind' mentality, and becoming cold and violent once more. At the moment though, what worried him the most was the fact that Zach was refusing to eat anything, and though the Malamute wasn't slowing them down at all because of it, they were all still greatly concerned about his well being, especially in light of his already self-destructive behavior.

'This trip was supposed to be a light-hearted one.' Smith thought ruefully. 'Visit some friends, get away from Gajou for awhile… Why does this shit always seem to happen whenever we start to enjoy ourselves?'

The Spaniel shook his head. He had to get his mind off of it for a while. It was just too depressing to go around with those thoughts all the time. Beside him, Gin seemed to be doing the same thing, and he found himself glad that the Akita was able to relax a little bit. Before he could think any more though, Kurotora's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Kisaragi **is** expecting us today, right?" he asked in his gravelly voice and Gin nodded, glancing back over his shoulder at him.

"Yes." he answered, sounding calmer than he probably was. "Hopefully he's doing well when we get there."

"I heard he was thinking about starting a family again." John said from Akame's side to their right and the Kishu nodded, turning to them as well.

"Mmm." he said. "I heard the same. It'll be interesting to see if he actually went through with it."

"With his mate he'd be a fool not to." Kurotora said. "She's choice."

"I'll be sure to tell Amaya you said that, Kuro." Smith teased with a smirk and the Kai dog looked over at him.

"I never said she's better than Amaya." he replied coolly. "Nobody is. Besides, she'd never believe you anyway."

The Spaniel snorted good-naturedly, but Kurotora wasn't finished.

"What about you Smith?" he teased. "You gonna get a girl one of these days?"

"I'm biding my time." came the reply, and the Kai dog snorted.

"Yeah? Well, you better get a move on pal, or all the good ones'll be gone." he said and then nudged Chutora next to him. "Besides, you're missing out. Just wait 'til we get to Kisaragi's base. He probably gets more tail then you've even fantasized about."

In front of them, Akame scowled over his shoulder.

"Couth as always, Kurotora." he said sarcastically and Smith glared over at the other dog, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Just you wait." he growled irritatedly. "I give you and Amaya 2 years tops before she comes to her senses and drops you like a rock off a cliff."

"You're just jealous." Kurotora grinned and Gin glanced back as well.

"Guys," he chided. "Cool it. We're here."

Turning away from his obnoxious friend, Smith looked up at the path and saw what he had been waiting to see for hours. Through the trees ahead of them, a large rock mound rose out of the earth like an emerging mountain, it's sandy color and rough, almost jagged nature contrasting nicely with the green of the trees that encircled it. A few hundred feet away to the west, a large pit lay like a dried up lakebed, the sight of an important battle only a few years ago, and Smith and the others knew that they had come to the right place. From where they stood, they could see small dens and caves dug into the steeper part of the rock mound, and assumed quickly that Kisaragi and his brothers were inside, an assumption that proved correct when a perimeter guard near the edge of the clearing called out the Mutsu leader's name, his voice laced with veiled excitement upon seeing the Ohu soldiers arrive. Almost immediately, a duo of Siberian Huskies emerged from within the largest of the caves, the lead one's dark brown and cream colored fur giving him away instantly as Kisaragi himself, his brother Hazuki at his side.

"Gin!" the large dog called in greeting, a note of surprise in his voice as he ran quickly down the rock mound's slope to greet them, a number of guards joining them as well.

The Akita gave his friend a warm smile as he ran up, and soon the two groups had come together, their tails wagging happily as they greeted one another. Kisaragi looked around at them, nodding at Akame and John respectfully as he did.

"We were expecting you sooner." he said, a strained note in his voice that made Smith frown in concern.

If Gin had heard it too, he didn't let it show, and nodded apologetically at the Husky.

"We ran into some…problems at the border." he replied. "But at we've arrived now. How are you?"

Kisaragi was silent and exchanged a glance with Hazuki, who shrugged at his brother almost sympathetically.

"He'll find out eventually, Kisaragi." he said, and Gin frowned finally as well, panning his gaze back and forth between them.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, and the Mutsu leader turned back to him after a pause, his look suggesting what his voice confirmed moments later.

"No." he said. "We've had an incident as well. I'm afraid your stay might not be a peaceful one, Gin."

"What happened?" Akame asked, stepping forward, and Kisaragi turned to him.

"Uzuki was attacked the other day while out on patrol." he responded. "He was hurt…badly."

"Who attacked him?" John asked with a steely note in his voice.

"A bear." Kisaragi said, his anger now obvious. "He's a lot like Akakabuto but not as big or strong. My pack calls him 'Masahiro'."

"Figured we might as well put a name to the fat bastard." Hazuki said with a humorless smirk and Gin turned back to Kisaragi.

"How long has he been here?" he asked seriously.

"He just showed up." the Husky said. "At the worst possible time too. He's not even our biggest problem."

When Gin straightened up even more in worry, Kisaragi motioned to them all.

"Come on." he said. "I'll tell you everything inside."

The Akita nodded and they made to follow him, but suddenly Kisaragi stopped, turning back with a confused frown as his eyes went to Gin's right.

"Who's this?" he asked with a gesture of his head and Smith saw that he had noticed Zach.

"This is Zach of Ibaraki." Gin replied, looking at him. "He's a newer member of our pack."

Then he turned his gaze towards Zach.

"Zach," he said. "This is Kisaragi of Mutsu and his brother Hazuki. They're the boss dogs in this territory."

Zach looked up from where his gaze had been on the ground and stared at the two Siberian Huskies, seeming to examine them carefully with his eyes as he did. Both dogs nodded at him in greeting, but after a moment, Zach turned away without so much as word or motion, making Hazuki growl at him angrily.

"Hey!" he snapped. "Show some respect when – "

"We have a lot of things to talk about inside." Gin interrupted quickly with a step forward, looking at both of his Mutsu friends. "Why don't you bring us up to speed on everything in there?"

Kisaragi looked at him and then panned his gaze over to Zach momentarily before nodding and turning to walk away. Smith had seen the look of irritation on the prideful Husky's face and had secretly breathed a sigh of relief when Gin had intervened. Then the group followed them, walking up the side of the rock mound as Gin leaned in and whispered something to Kisaragi, getting a muttered response moments later. In no time at all, they were up in the Mutsu clan's main cave, and Kisaragi very quickly led them to the back, bypassing guards and other pack soldiers as they did. Eventually, he stopped beside the rear wall and Smith heard the others inhale sharply, something he did himself as he saw what they were looking at. Uzuki of Mutsu lay on his side on the den floor, either unconscious or sleeping, and he was not in a good way. 4 or 5 very deep slash marks split their way obscenely down his left side to his stomach, a gathering of leaves and mosses draped over top of them to try and stem the bleeding. He breathed shallowly, and Smith could tell somehow from the angle of his body that something else was definitely wrong as well.

"The wounds nearly killed him." Kisaragi said as Akame moved forward past him to examine the motionless Husky. "When we found him, his intestines were hanging out of one of those cuts. We managed to put them back in but he almost died of blood loss in the process. It'll be months before he even walks again, let alone resumes his duties. I don't even know what to do with him."

"Kisaragi," Gin said gently. "I'm sorry."

The Husky nodded, dropping his worried brother look and turning back to them with a new look of angry determination.

"I'll have no problem killing Masahiro for this." he growled. "I just have to find him. He hides in those mountains up behind this place, or so I'm told. My guards are out looking now. My biggest problem at the moment though, is Dengen."

"Dengen?" Chutora asked with a raised eyebrow and Kisaragi turned to him as they all lay down in a circle by the cave's entrance.

"Dengen's the boss of a wolf pack who lives in the same mountains as Masahiro." he explained. "He and his pack are claiming that Mutsu is rightfully theirs, and that we stole it from them."

John shook his head with a snort and smirked at the Mutsu leader.

"The joys of being a boss dog, huh?" he said and Kisaragi smiled back despite himself.

"Dengen says that if we don't leave he'll use force to **make** us leave." he said, the anger in his voice unmistakable. "I'm perfectly ready to just fight him one-on-one and scatter his little pack of mongrels, but they know the mountains really well, better than us actually. We have to wait until the bastard shows his face before we have it out once and for all. Until then, I've had to send most of our females and elders elsewhere so they'll be safe."

"Do you need our help?" Gin asked with a glance, and Kisaragi nodded almost immediately.

"We'll handle Dengen ourselves," he said. "So don't concern yourselves with him. Masahiro though…we'd be glad for the help, especially since you and John are both former bear hounds."

"Oh, I hunted a lot more than bear." John said in a smug voice. "But that's what I'm best at. Sounds like fun."

Kisaragi smirked at him again.

"Good to see you haven't changed." he said in a teasing voice. "Now, how about we – "

Suddenly, one of the Mutsu leader's subordinates came sprinting into the cave from the outside.

"Kisaragi-san!" he said. "News from the mountain pass, sir. Dengen and his pack have been spotted. He's calling you out to fight, sir."

The Husky and the Ohu Dogs all immediately leapt to their feet.

"Good!" Kisaragi said. "It's about time!"

Then he turned to Gin.

"You're welcome to join us, Gin." he said. "But this fight is between me and him. Don't interfere."

"Wouldn't dream of it." the Akita answered with a courteous nod and then looked at the others. "Come on guys! Let's go help him drive these wolves off."

"Let's do it!" Kurotora whooped excitedly and Smith shook his head with a grin as Gin turned to Zach.

"Zach," he said. "You stay here and help them look after Uzuki. Make sure his wounds don't get infected."

The Malamute gave him a look that was halfway between an irritated glare and a sad look of understanding, as if he had been expecting this.

"You don't trust me to kill the enemy in this state, Gin?" he asked in a quiet voice and the Akita looked him in the eye.

"No Zach," he replied calmly. "I don't trust you won't let them kill **you**."

For a moment after this, there was an uncomfortable silence from everyone nearby before Gin finally turned and gestured to the others.

"Let's go!" he ordered and took off after the departing Kisaragi, who had paused to wait for them just outside the cave entrance.

Moments later, they were all running together, and the Mutsu leader looked over at Gin as they all began heading towards their destination.

"What's with that guy, Gin?" he asked, a confused frown plastered on his face as he nodded back at the cave. "What's his story?"

The Akita sighed slightly as he met his gaze, leaping over a large boulder in his path with ease.

"He's been through a lot recently." he answered, hearing John and Hazuki keeping pace right behind him. "The battlefield isn't the place for him right now. Bringing him along would just make this fight even more unpredictable. It's a shame too. He's a good fighter."

"What happened to him?" Kisaragi asked, his tongue lolling slightly out of his mouth as he ran.

"It's a long story."

"We've got a couple minutes 'til we get there." the Husky answered. "And once we do, there's not gonna be much talking going on. Tell me."

Gin looked at him for a second, then turned back to the path in front of him.

"All right." he said. "Here's what happened…"

* * *

Smith looked around them as they walked slowly forward into Mutsu's northern pass, seeing loose rocks and small plants jutting out of the rough canyon walls that lined them on either side. The place looked perfect for an ambush, and he listened carefully to hear any sign of hidden movement, hearing Akame doing the same beside him.

"These walls don't look stable." the Kishu said in a calm but serious voice. "This isn't a good place to fight."

"We'll have to deal with it." Kisaragi said. "He's coming."

"Watch for ambushes from the top of the cliff." John warned. "If there's one thing I learned from Zach, it's that these canyons have all kinds of ways to kill you."

"This isn't Ibaraki." Kurotora replied, walking up next to Gin. "We've got home field advantage here."

Gin though, disagreed.

"John's right, Kuro." he said, narrowing his eyes as he looked for any sign of their enemy. "We shouldn't be overconfident. Keep looking for them."

"You can stop your search!" came a loud voice, and all of their heads whipped immediately towards it, the whole group of them stopping in their tracks as they did.

Almost immediately, Smith saw where the voice had come from. Standing about 30 feet away, flanked by a good 20-25 subordinates, was a large wolf, his dark grey fur covered with what the Spaniel guessed were clan symbols, written in what looked like blood with his own claws. Kisaragi growled as the Ohu and Mutsu soldiers dropped into battle stances.

"Get out of my territory, Dengen!" the Husky warned. "I've had about enough of you!"

"Mutsu is **ours**!" the wolf countered, his own troops also fight ready. "You and your mutts stole it from us! I'm just here to take it back."

"Bastard!" Hazuki snarled. "This has been our territory for years! How dare you get so arrogant?"

"Arrogant?" the wolf scoffed. "You're ones to talk! But enough of this! You have 10 seconds to take your dogs and leave or we'll stain this ground with your blood!"

Then Gin stepped forward, his muzzle twisted into an angry growl.

"We're Kisaragi's friends!" he said loudly. "I'm Gin of Ohu! If you fight with him, you fight us too!"

"And that's not something you want to do, Lobo." John finished in a taunting voice, licking his lips in excitedly.

Dengen was beside himself.

"GO!" he bellowed to his soldiers, and across from them, Gin and Kisaragi did the same.

With that, the two groups launched themselves forward, coming together mere seconds later in a painful series of crunching collisions, head-butting each other in the face at top speed and sending bodies flying to the dirt below. Then, combatants from each side dove onto their respective fallen enemies and went for the throat immediately, and soon the whole pass had descended into bloody chaos, as the fight raged furiously. Snarling and writhing in the dirt, John and one of the wolves ripped at each others flesh with a terrifying ferocity, neither seeming to care as blood went flying from both of them and flesh got slashed open wide. A few feet over, Akame was doing the same, double teaming a hapless wolf with Chutora and hurling his limp form into one of his comrades before slashing the throat out of another who was trying to ambush Gin, sending him twitching lifelessly to the ground below. Beside the Akita, Kisaragi and Dengen bit at each other furiously, tearing bloody bits out of each others' shoulders as they reared up on their hind legs and then pulled one another to the ground again, slamming each others' heads into nearby rocks at every chance they got.

As for Smith, he felt like a platoon leader again. Though he didn't enjoy fighting as much as some of his friends did, he was quite good at it when he wanted to be, and had actually gotten his position in Riki's army by single-handedly defending a hapless female stray against a large group of thugs that were trying to gang rape her. Riki, who had been passing by at the time, had seen this and leapt in to help, inviting him to join his pack immediately after, impressed with what he had seen. Now, he was relying on some of those old tricks, jamming a claw into an opponent's eye after his ear was grabbed, and then ripping his throat out as soon as he pulled back with a scream of pain. Next came a large brute of a wolf who had ganged up on Kurotora with two of his comrades, smashing the Kai dog's face into the canyon wall and then shaking him side to side hard before he could recover. Leaping on his back, Smith quickly grabbed him by the ear and yanked at it hard, tearing it clean off in the process, and giving the bloodied Kurotora a chance to kill his other 2 attackers when they stopped to look. Chutora then flew in from the side and killed the large wolf and Kurotora glanced briefly at Smith as he regained his feet, panting hard.

"Thanks, Smith." he said and then leapt back into the battle.

The Spaniel was pleased to hear this, and moved to join him, but suddenly found himself tackled at top speed by another of Dengen's troops, who bit immediately at his neck as they flew backwards towards the bottom of the canyon wall. Smith grappled with him to keep his throat protected, but as soon as they landed together in a fighting heap, Smith knew that something was wrong. The ground beneath them seemed to be crumbling and falling away, and before he even knew what was happening, he and the wolf were plummeting into darkness, the sounds of the battle fading away as they fell deeper down into nothingness.

"SMITH!" Kurotora yelled fearfully, seeing his friend vanish into the large hole that had just opened up.

Over to his right, Gin had seen it too and bellowed at the top of his lungs:

"Smith! Everyone! Stop the fight! Stop fighting!"

The battles came to a halt as bloodied combatants threw each other off and stumbled back, looking over at the Akita in confusion as they did. For his part, Gin was already rushing over to the gaping new opening, which seemed to have been exposed when Smith and his opponent had landed on it. Akame, John and the others were already standing at its edge, as was Dengen, who, to their great surprise, stared down into the blackness with them with a look of fear on his face.

"Kizoku!" he screamed into the dark chasm. "Kizoku answer me!"

"Smith!" John yelled. "Are you all right?"

There was no answer from down in the hole, and Chutora looked quickly at Kisaragi.

"Where the hell did this thing come from?" he snapped and the Husky shook his head.

"I have no idea." he said. "This pass has always been unstable, but never like this."

"We gotta go in and get him!" Kurotora said impatiently and moved to jump in too.

"Wait!" Akame said quickly and grabbed him by the tail, yanking him backwards roughly seconds later.

The Kai dog was very displeased and whirled on his friend angrily.

"What are you playing at, Akame?" he yelled. "Smith could be hurt!"

"And we're going to join him if we blindly jump into that pit." the Kishu said in a patient voice. "We have no idea how deep it is."

"He's right, boss." came a new voice, and they all quickly realized that it was one of Dengen's soldiers talking to his leader. "That must lead down into the caves beneath these mountains. That drop could be over 40 feet. We can't follow."

Dengen turned and snarled at him angrily.

"Those caves are where that man-eater makes his lair." the alpha wolf snapped. "I am **not** leaving my brother down in there with him!"

Kisaragi turned to his enemy with a look of alarm.

"Masahiro?" he said. "**That's** where he's coming from?"

Dengen didn't even need to ask who 'Masahiro' was.

"This fight is on hold." he said, glaring at them. "I'm saving my brother and then we'll finish this. In the meantime, you stay out of my way!"

Then, without another word, he and his pack turned and ran off, disappearing over the hill in the pass moments later. As soon as they were gone, Chutora turned to Gin.

"What now, leader?" he asked, but Kisaragi answered for him.

"I don't know another way down in there." he said. "We need to figure this out back at my base, Gin."

"I agree." the Akita said, looking reluctant despite it. "We're gonna need all the help your pack can give us if we're going to save Smith from this."

Kurotora turned to the Ohu leader in protest.

"Gin, we can't just **leave** him down there!" he said and Gin looked at him immediately.

"We have no choice, Kurotora." he said, the great worry in his voice evident. "Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do. But there's nothing we can do right now. Smith's on his own."

The Kai dog's shoulders slumped defeatedly, and the whole group looked at the gaping hole that their friend had disappeared into, seeing nothing emerge from it as they turned and left. Just silence. Silence and darkness.

* * *

Smith's entire body ached something fierce, his head throbbing painfully like something was trying to bore its way out from within it. Wincing as his eyes fluttered open, he moved his legs one by one to make sure they still worked before carefully standing up, feeling cuts and bruises aching on his sides and back as he did. That, however, was the extent of his injury. All in all, the Spaniel knew, he had been lucky. Raising his head higher, Smith looked around. Wherever he had ended up, it was dark, and as his eyes had yet to adjust to the dim light, there was very little that he could see clearly. Looking up, he saw a small amount leaking in from a hole in the ceiling far above him, and immediately realized that it was too high to climb back up. The Spaniel scowled.

'Great.' he thought in annoyance. 'So not only do I feel like I got hit by a car, I'm stuck down here. Terrific.'

Deciding that sitting there was the worst possible thing he could do, Smith turned and began walking slowly forward in the first direction he turned to, hoping that he could at least get a grip on the geography around him before attempting an escape back to Gin and the others. Suddenly though, his foot hit something large right in his path and the Spaniel nearly fell flat on his face. Before he could, however, he was hit hard in the chest and stumbled backwards into a sitting position, his every sense on high alert.

"Get away from me, bastard!" came a fierce but nervous sounding growl. "I'll kill you!"

Standing quickly and lowering himself into a battle stance, Smith squinted into the darkness as hard as he could, mentally willing his eyes to adjust and allow him to see clearly. When they did, aided by the small amount of light shining in from up above, he found himself face to face with a wolf, his long, light grey fur making him easier to see in the darkness than one of his black-furred kin would've been. Smith saw quickly that the other canine's fangs were bared, and his hackles were raised high in warning as an angry, constant growl escaped his lips. His amber eyes were fixed right onto Smith's. Realizing that it was one of Dengen's troops, the one he had been fighting with most probably, Smith settled back down onto his haunches, keeping his guard up and his eyes on the wolf as he did. Fighting was the last thing that he could afford in his current predicament, and for a moment, he was silent, thinking of ways to possibly diffuse the situation before the two of them ended up going for each other's throats again. Finally, he said on the only thing he could think of.

"My name is Smith." he said calmly. "What's your name?"

"Shut up!" came the curt reply. "I don't talk to enemies!"

"The fight's over, pal." Smith said. "Killing each other now would be pointless."

"It's my duty as a soldier." the wolf said sharply, running his tongue over his fangs. "Don't try and talk your way out of this!"

Smith sighed exasperatedly, looking around him a little now that his eyes had adjusted. They appeared to be in some sort of large cave, it's cavernous appearance telling him that it probably had been there for ages without being discovered.

"Well," he said. "Whether you like me or not, it looks like we're stuck down here."

"My brother will come get me out." the wolf said, and Smith only then heard the youth in his voice. "He always does. That's why he's the alpha. And I'll have your corpse to present to him when he does!"

Suddenly, he stood up quickly and tried to lunge at Smith, making the Spaniel shoot back to his feet and ready himself for a new battle. Before he had even made a move yet though, the wolf let out a shout of pain and slumped back down to the stone floor, whining pitiably as he did. Frowning warily, Smith saw him favoring both his right front and left hind legs, his eyes closed tightly in silent agony as he tried licking at the former uselessly. Seconds later, Smith saw why. Jutting out through the skin and fur on the wolf's front leg, surrounded by blood and looking grotesque, was part of a bone, its end sharp where it had broken away from its owner's skeleton beneath when he had smashed into the hard ground at high speed. As if that wasn't bad enough, his hind leg looked twisted, and Smith knew immediately that the injured canine wasn't going to be walking anywhere.

"Shit." the Spaniel swore, and the wolf glared up at him with bared teeth.

"W-What do you care?" he snapped. "You're an enemy of my clan!"

"For the last time," Smith said exasperatedly. "The fight is over. And I care because I don't know this area that well, which means that you're the only one who might knows how to get the hell out of here."

"So?"

"So you can't walk." Smith said, looking him in the eyes. "Which means that I'm gonna have to carry you."

"Don't you lay one claw on me, you filthy mutt!" the wolf snapped and Smith shrugged.

"Fine." he said, and started to walk away. "I'll risk it by myself. Have fun dying here alone."

There was a moment of silence, and then the wolf's voice broke it.

"Wait!" he grumbled, and Smith turned around to see his gaze met with a confused one. "Why would you help me? Our packs just tried to kill each other."

"I told you." Smith said. "I don't know the way out of here…and I'm not in the business of letting people suffer, no matter who they are."

For a moment, the wolf looked at him in suspicion mixed with near fascination, as if he had never met anyone like him before. Then Smith held out a paw.

"Smith." he said, and the wolf snorted slightly.

Then he reached out and lightly smacked the Spaniel's paw with his own, finishing the greeting.

"Kizoku." he said with quiet reluctance.

Smith smirked and walked over to him, crouching as low as he could to allow the wolf to slide carefully onto his back, both of them grunting from the effort as he stood once more soon after.

"God," Smith exclaimed, glancing up at his new companion in teasing irritation. "How much do you weigh?"

"Shut it!" Kizoku said defensively. "I'm all muscle. Besides, it'll be good for you. You're pretty scrawny looking."

Smith rolled his eyes.

"Great." he said. "John 2.0. Now which way do we go?"

"Uh…" the wolf replied uncertainly, sniffing at the air momentarily.

Then he looked to their right.

"That way." he said confidently, pointing with his muzzle as he did, and Smith nodded, setting off quickly at a slow, careful pace.

Moments later, with both of their senses on high alert, he found a passageway, turning into it as soon as he had. Then they were gone.

* * *

Gin grimaced in frustration as he paced back and forth, straining his mind to think of some way they could get to Smith, some avenue they could take short of jumping blindly down the same hole and having no way back out themselves. They had arrived back at the Mutsu clan's home base only a short time ago, and had been greeted immediately by the fourth of Kisaragi's brothers, the fascinated, anxious Minazuki, who bombarded his older sibling with questions as they approached and then fell in beside them concernedly when he got the cold, hard truth in response. This was in great contrast to the coldly indifferent Zach, who had been sitting perched at the cave's entrance behind where Minazuki had been. As soon as the group had looked his way, he had nodded back over his shoulder into it, the look on his face suggesting he truly didn't care what their current state was.

"Uzuki's sleeping." he had said in a flat, low voice. "We redressed his wounds while you were gone. He should improve given time."

"Good," Gin replied. "Any other news?"

"No." the Malamute had said with a shake of his head. "I'll be outside if you need me."

And without another word, he had turned and disappeared out the entrance, the Akita's sympathetic but frustrated gaze following him momentarily as he did. Almost as soon as he had looked though, he turned away. Smith's current situation demanded his full attention, and he couldn't afford to focus on Zach for any length of time. Kisaragi had sent out virtually all of his troops to scour the landscape, looking for any kind of secondary entrance to the caves that they had missed during their time living there, and Gin and the others had been left to come up with ideas of their own, none of which had proven fruitful. It had been nearly evening when they had arrived back though, and in virtually no time at all it seemed, the day had given way to night, the stars above twinkling down at them almost teasingly, making the Akita even more anxious than he had been before. As it stood at that moment, Akame and Kurotora had left to go relieve Hazuki and Minazuki in their search, and both John and Chutora had decided to try and get some rest, at least until it was their turn to do the same. Gin gripped the stone floor hard with his claws. He couldn't just sit here! There had to be something they could do!

At that moment though, something caught the Ohu leader's gaze, and a few feet over, he saw Kisaragi pad silently out into the cool night air, his thick fur being ruffled by the wind blowing across the cave entrance as he did. Beyond him, sitting alone at the edge of a slope in the rocky mound and staring up at the sky above him, was Zach, and Gin saw the Mutsu leader walk towards the other male silently, his footfalls quiet enough to avoid waking anyone sleeping inside. His youthful curiosity getting the better of him, Gin followed after his friend and departed the den as well, emerging out into the darkness only partially before he lay down near the cave entrance, perking his keen ears forward to hear what they were saying. For his part, Kisaragi said nothing as he walked up beside Zach, sitting down next to him as the Malamute acknowledged his presence with only a sigh, telling the Husky that his scent had been recognized and that it would his job to break the ice if he wished to talk. A few seconds later, Kisaragi did just that.

"Peaceful isn't it?" he said, looking up at the stars as well. "These are the kinds of nights that soldiers like us fight for, hoping we can make a better life for ourselves, for our families. The only problem is, once they arrive we don't know what to do with ourselves. It gets **too** peaceful."

Then he looked at the younger dog.

"Dogs like us were made for war." he said. "That's what we are, what we do. We accept the responsibilities that come with it…and the losses. You accept them and move on. Otherwise it destroys you."

Zach glanced over at him, looking him up and down for a moment before turning back to the sky, a tired look on his face.

"I think it destroyed me a long time ago." he said quietly. "I've got nothing left. If I was made for anything, I was made for death. That's all I've ever brought to anyone."

"Self pity doesn't become a soldier of Ohu." Kisaragi said disapprovingly. "Especially not one standing shoulder to shoulder with dogs like them."

He nodded back at the cave as he said it and Zach glared at him with the beginnings of a growl forming on his muzzle.

"Have **you** ever caused the death of your own father?" he asked scathingly. "Your own clan? I swore an oath to defend my family and get them your 'better life'. Know what they got instead? Decapitated. Now my clan is in ruins and the last family I have hates my guts…and it's entirely my fault. Don't mock what you don't understand."

Kisaragi turned away, looking forward once more.

"No," he said after a pause. "I never caused the death of my father."

"I didn't think so."

"…I caused the death of my sons."

Gin saw the two males turn and look at each other and he held his breath silently, waiting to see what would come next. Kisaragi held his gaze firmly, keeping his voice in the same quiet tone it had been in the whole time.

"Gin told me what happened to you." he said. "And why. But as much as I feel sorry for you, you should know that you're not the only person who's ever failed someone. Do you know how he and I met?"

"…No."

"I took his pack hostage and threw them in a pit so they would surrender to me or starve." the Husky said in a stern voice. "Then I attacked one of his comrades, a great male named Terry, and slashed out his eye so he would be blind and helpless to my power. Only after that did Gin and his friends show up and fight us, my brothers and I. While we were busy trying to kill each other…I left my two young sons alone without protection. By the time I found out that we were actually supposed to be on the same side, Akakabuto's henchmen had murdered Terry and both my sons. My mate wouldn't look at me for weeks, even after the war was over. Trust me, Zach…I know how you feel."

The Malamute was silent, and turned away to stare at the ground, looking as if he was slightly embarrassed as he did. Kisaragi kept going.

"Guilt is one of the most powerful enemies soldiers like us have to face." he said. "Especially if we do something wrong. And I won't lie to you, kid, it never really goes away."

Gin sighed lightly where he lay, looking briefly down at his paws and thinking sadly of his father Riki's fate as he realized how right the Husky was. Kisaragi, however, wasn't finished, so he quickly listened back in.

"Conquering that guilt," the Husky said. "Or letting it consume you, is one of the tests of being a male. And if you're the kind of dog I think you are, you'll do the former."

For a long time, Zach said nothing and continued to sit where he was, looking as if he were thinking things over carefully before responding. Then, right as Gin had started to think that he had chosen to ignore the Husky's words of wisdom, he turned with a sigh and faced him completely.

"Where did Smith disappear to again?" he asked, and Gin felt strangely relieved that Zach **had**, in fact, noticed the Spaniel's absence.

"In a series of caves under those mountains." Kisaragi answered, nodding over his shoulder at them in the dim light. "The entrance we found already is in the northern pass."

Zach nodded, and then stood up, his gaze going to where the Husky had indicated.

"Tell Gin that I'll be back when I find something." he said, and walked off past the older male, nearly vanishing into the dark before pausing and turning back one more time.

"Kisaragi." he called.

The Husky turned and looked at him again, and Zach let a ghost of a smile slide over his muzzle for a brief moment as their gazes met.

"Thanks." he said. "For the pep talk."

Then he turned and was gone, and Gin stood as well, having never respected his Mutsu comrade more than he did at that moment. Then, with his own mind put at ease somewhat, Gin of Ohu turned and padded back into the den, intending to lie down with John and Chutora and get some sleep as well.

* * *

Smith glared into the darkness in front of him, making sure to watch his step as he navigated his way through the swiftly narrowing passageway. He silently thanked his luck that his eyes had readjusted, as the little light that he and his companion had had in the original cave was now completely gone, and he was having to use the rest of his senses extensively just to avoid walking off another steep drop. He panted, coming to a stop as they came to a fork in the path.

"Which way?" he asked, glancing up at Kizoku, who had said very little since they'd initiated their uneasy truce.

"Left." the wolf said, sounding unsure of himself. "I think."

"You **think**?"

"Hey!" Kizoku snapped defensively. "It's not like I come down here on a regular basis! I'm playing this from memory."

Smith shook his head in irritation, setting off again.

"Well I hope you're right." the Spaniel said. "Otherwise we're in trouble."

"Hmph. We'll be fine."

Smith glanced back at his passenger, stepping around a large rock in his path.

"So," he said. "You're Dengen's brother, huh?"

"Yeah." Kizoku said, sounding proud. "We grew up in these mountains. Since he took over, the pack's as strong as it's ever been. He's a great leader for this territory."

"And what makes you think he owns this territory?" Smith asked and Kizoku's gaze narrowed down at him.

"We've lived in these mountains for years!" he snapped angrily. "My pack has been here longer than you mutts! Mutsu is ours!"

Smith stopped right as they entered another cave.

"Kisaragi and his clan have lived here for years too!" he shot back loudly, his temper getting the best of him. "You've left each other alone all this time! Just because you **say** something is yours doesn't make it yours."

Kizoku snarled.

"You – " he started, but then suddenly, a loud rumble echoed off the walls of the cave they had just walked into, which was slightly better lit than the other and only marginally smaller.

Both canines froze abruptly, abandoning their argument as they perked their ears up and listened to it.

"What the hell was that?" Smith muttered nervously and Kizoku lowered his head a little from his position atop him, his aura now just as uneasy as his companion's.

"There can't be anyone else down here." he murmured, frowning as he tried to see more clearly in the dark. "These caves are virtually inaccessible. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Smith demanded. "We **are** alone down here, right?"

Suddenly, Kizoku's eyes went wider, and his hackles raised as his fear levels increased even more.

"Oh shit." he swore quietly, and then turned to Smith. "We have to move **now**!"

"Why?"

"It's that man-eater!" the wolf said. "We must be near his lair!"

"Man-eater?" Smith repeated confusedly, but then felt a chill rush down his spine as he realized what the other canine meant. "Wait. That bear that Kisaragi talked about? Masahiro?"

Kizoku frowned through his nervousness.

"I don't know where the hell you got **that** name," he said. "But yeah, that's him. Now move your ass! We gotta get outta here before he smells us."  
Smith grimaced angrily at the wolf's rudeness, not wanting to growl and give their position away, but did as his companion suggested anyway and silently crept forward, moving along the nearest wall of their new cave until another opening presented itself.

"Through here." Kizoku whispered as soon as they found it. "I think this is how we get to the surface."

The Spaniel didn't acknowledge him, but turned into the opening anyway…and felt his paw step down into something that wasn't ground. Smith froze, closing his eyes in dread. Whatever it was he was standing in was soft, wet, and slimy, and his keen sense of smell had just begun being bombarded with new scents, the strongest of which were blood and bear. Above him, Kizoku suddenly spoke again.

"Smith…" the wolf said, sounding sickened. "Don't look down."

Smith, however, had already done just that, and almost immediately yanked his paw back with an exclamation of disgust. Lying on the ground where his foot had been were the mutilated and half-eaten remains of a dog, it's body torn in half and it's stench rife with decay. Where its face had once been was now just a gaping hole, filled with blood, brain matter, fragments of its destroyed skull…and an almost perfect imprint of Smith's front paw. The Spaniel retreated a few steps, swearing to himself and feeling sick, but before he could say anything else, the rumble from before sounded again from right in front of them. He and Kizoku both immediately looked towards the sound, and saw two angry, golden eyes staring hungrily back at them from no more than 10 feet away, their size suggesting that their owner was quite large.

"Shit." Smith said, seeing the situation clearly for the first time.

It was Masahiro. Short of being an escape route, they had apparently stumbled into the killer bear's main lair, and it was littered from front to back with the bodies of both dogs and humans, the former outnumbering the latter. Masahiro himself, Smith saw, was an Asian black bear, and a large one at that. He had a crescent shaped marking on his chest right below his neck, which was characteristic of his species, and large sickle-shaped claws that looked perfect for tearing into things with ease. A number of Akakabuto's followers had been just like him, he remembered, but few had been as large as this. Masahiro had nothing on Akakabuto himself, but Smith could still see clearly that he was capable of being very deadly to anyone who was unfortunate enough to come across him, like all of the bodies that lay dead in his lair…like them.

"Go! GO!" Kizoku shouted, but Smith was already in motion, his strong legs pumping furiously as he ran blindly back into the larger cave that the bear's lair connected to, hearing a roar of fury sound behind them and a series of heavy footfalls follow it.

Quickly bringing his keen senses up to full power, he sniffed at the air and almost immediately identified a second passage branching off in front of them. Not caring where it led to, as long as it was away from there, Smith turned into it quickly and kept running, Kizoku's weight on his back beginning to hurt his stamina. The wolf, meanwhile, was not keeping quiet.

"Faster, god damn it!" he shouted. "Faster! He's right behind us!"

"Shut up!" Smith snapped in furious exasperation. "I'm working on it!"

Suddenly, something hit him from behind them, knocking him clear off his feet as he tried to make a jump over a chasm that had suddenly appeared in front of them. Landing hard on his side, Smith slid over to the edge of another drop, this one much steeper and more dangerous looking, hearing Kizoku's terrified yelp as he fell off the Spaniel's back and went plummeting over the edge, well on his way to an untimely death. Smith, however, reacted quickly and grabbed him with his jaws as he fell, nearly getting pulled over himself as the wolf smacked against the underground cliff's descending face. Smith dug his claws into the rock and dirt beneath him as he kept his grip firm on his companion. He could see Kizoku's good hind leg kicking at the rock face beneath it desperately, trying to get a grip as well and help propel him back to safety. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite do it, and soon the wolf's face turned even more alarmed.

"Smith!" he yelped. "Behind you!"

The Spaniel glanced over his shoulder in dread, not moving his head for fear of losing his hold. Behind him, raised up onto his hind legs and looking downright terrifying, was Masahiro. The bear roared furiously and Smith's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of their situation. Fighting their enemy straight on was looking like a very real possibility, and that was something that neither one of them could afford. Kizoku was useless in his current state, and Smith, though he had fought bears before, had never successfully fought one this large, having been injured in the battle against Madara before the final fight against Akakabuto had ever even happened. And even there, he had had dozens of powerful comrades fighting alongside him. Here, he was completely alone.

'I'm not dying here!' he thought determinedly. 'I **will not** die here!'

With a loud grunt of exertion, the Spaniel yanked hard on Kizoku and threw him high into the air, catching him almost perfectly on his back as he turned and immediately took off further down the path they were on, dodging a deadly paw swipe from Masahiro as he did. Then they just kept running, Smith beginning to pant with fatigue as they did.

'We have to hurry.' he thought with a clench of his jaws. 'We can't keep this up much longer.'

* * *

Gin sniffed at the ground as he walked, feeling his frustration growing as he searched more and more desperately for an opening to the caves. He had hoped somewhere deep down that Smith would find his own way out and essentially rescue himself, but had had no such luck, and now the Ohu leader was beginning to get very worried about his friend. At the moment, he and the others were down in a heavily forested area to the Southwest of the pass where they had fought, and were busy fanning out in all directions as they hunted feverishly for the secondary entrance to the caverns below. They had seen Dengen and his clan wandering nearby not too long ago, and the wolf's behavior had told them that he too had come up empty in his search, something that did not help their morale. Over to Gin's right, Akame stood high on a branch in a tall tree, his piercing red eyes scanning the landscape for any possible sign of what they were looking for. Gin swore silently to himself.

'It has to be here somewhere!' he thought. 'There **has** to be another way in!'

Suddenly, his ears perked up high, having heard what sounded like a faint, furious roar, and not one emitted by a dog.

"Akame," he started urgently, his every sense on high alert. "Did you – "

"I heard it too!" the Kishu replied, his head whipping around more quickly as he looked for its source.

"Chutora," Gin called quickly to his friend, who stood off to the left of him. "Go get Kisaragi and everyone you can! Tell him Masahiro's in the area!"

"Yes, leader!" the Kai dog replied and immediately ran off, leaving Gin to turn back to his search as John ran up as well, tailed by a number of Kisaragi's subordinates.

"Gin," he said, "What's going on?"

The Akita opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, someone else came trotting up out of the trees calling his name. When he turned to see who it was, he was greatly surprised to find himself staring at Zach, and only paid full attention when he saw that the Malamute was gesturing to him and the others with his head.

"Gin," the other male called, sounding a little better than before but still not completely normal. "I think I found a way inside those caves of yours."

"You did?" Kurotora said as Akame leapt out of his tree and back to ground level. "Well done, Zach!"

"Where is it?" John demanded and the Malamute turned slightly.

"This way." he said and made to run off, the others following him instantly.

Gin however, quickly stopped them.

"Wait!" he barked and they all turned to him in confusion.

"What is it, leader?" Akame asked with a frown and Gin met his gaze.

"If Masahiro's near here," he said. "Then he might be down in those caves with Smith. We should get more help in case we have to fight him."

"Chutora should be back soon with Kisaragi and the others." the Kishu pointed out and Gin shook his head with a sly look.

"I know." he said. "But there's someone else who could help as well."

The group looked confused for a moment by this, but quickly realized what he meant, and pulled back almost as one in skeptical surprise.

"You can't be serious!" John exclaimed, and Gin turned to him with a small grin.

"Just leave it to me." he said. "Go with Zach, all of you. I'll meet up with you in a few minutes."

Though they still looked unsure, the others all nodded and took off running after the Malamute when he turned and sprang away, leaving Gin by himself amongst the trees. Then the Ohu leader turned and was gone as well.

* * *

Smith swore again, panting heavily. His legs burned constantly now from the effort of running, and he realized quickly that he couldn't go much further without rest. Turning the corner into yet another, smaller cavern, he immediately stumbled to the nearest wall and flopped down onto the ground, letting Kizoku slide off his back as they took a moment to gather their energy. Through a few tricky maneuvers and a lot of sprinting, the two had managed to lose Masahiro for the moment, but both knew that the blood from their wounds would eventually lead the bear right to them. It was only a matter of time. As he kept panting, trying to catch his breath, Smith turned to his wolf companion, who looked to be trembling a little as he winced and attempted to rest his badly injured leg.

"How are you doing over there?" he asked and Kizoku gave him a tired look.

"I've seen better days." he said sarcastically, and Smith was impressed by the strength in his voice despite his heavily weakened appearance.

"Think we're almost to the surface?"

"God I hope so."

Smith laughed a little at this and to his surprise, Kizoku did as well, one of the first times he had been even remotely pleasant around his fellow canine. Then, however, the wolf turned to him again.

"Can I ask you something?" he said and Smith glanced at him.

"Shoot." he replied.

"Why did you save me back there?"

Smith was silent, and looked over at him in mild confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Back at that cliff." Kizoku clarified. "You could've let me fall, but you didn't. You caught me and pulled me up. Why?"

Smith sighed a little, finally getting some of his breath back.

"I still need your help to get out of here." he said. "And I'm long past the point of wanting to see you die."

Kizoku shook his head almost amusedly.

"You dogs are strange." he said and Smith smirked.

"We pride ourselves on it." he said teasingly, but then turned serious again. "Besides, you don't seem like a bad guy, Kizoku. Paranoid and mistrustful maybe, but…not bad. Believe me, I've met bad wolves before. My clan warred with a real nasty piece of work named Gaia a while back. You're definitely not like him."

Kizoku turned to him incredulously.

"Wait," he said. "**You** were the ones who got rid of the Empire Soldiers?"

Smith nodded, surprised that he had heard of them, and the wolf laughed, still looking like he was in extreme pain.

"Son of a bitch." he said. "All that fighting we did and you were a great male the whole time. That figures."

"What's that mean?" the Spaniel asked, clearly confused and Kizoku turned to him again.

"Gaia and the Empire Soldiers were infamous amongst our kind." he said. "He was a fucking disgrace as far as I'm concerned. We were all relieved when he died. Did you know a wolf named Reima?"

Smith nodded again, looking slightly nostalgic at the mention of his pack's dead former comrade.

"Yeah," he said. "He was a good male."

Kizoku gave an approving look, clearly impressed at this.

"I always admired him." he said, then tilted his head slightly. "You know Smith? You're not too bad after all."

This made them both laugh, but then a sound came to Smith's ears. Water… Standing up with a small frown, he walked forward a few steps and almost immediately came across the source of the noise. An underground stream flowed in front of him, cutting through the rock and forming a deceptively large passageway off to their right. Smith felt his breath catch in his throat.

"This is it…" he said. "This is it!"

"What are you blabbering on about?" Kizoku asked and the Spaniel turned to him.

"There's a stream over here." he said excitedly. "If we follow where it's going it might lead us out of here!"

This thought seemed to reenergize the badly injured wolf.

"Let's do it then!" he growled, trying to push himself to his feet.

Seeing this, Smith immediately darted over and crouched beside him, allowing the wolf to hoist himself onto his back once more and shifting his position as soon as he had so that they were both comfortable. Then he started to walk forward towards the new opening, eager to get the hell out of there and back to Gin and the others. Suddenly though, an ear-splitting roar sounded from right behind them and Smith felt a sharp pain in his flank as he was smacked hard and sent flying across the cave, hitting the opposite wall with a painful crash and slumping to the ground as Kizoku landed by the stream, growling painfully as he broke his fall with his twisted leg. Stunned by the blow, Smith pushed himself up a little, raising his head in time to see Masahiro advancing on him quickly, a bloodthirsty look in his beady golden eyes that chilled the Spaniel to the bone. The next thing he knew, the bear's jaws were snapping at him, aimed right at his face, and Smith knew that he couldn't dodge in time. Then though, right as he was convinced it was all over, something came flying in from the side and grabbed the large bear by the hind leg, its momentum making the huge animal lose its balance and fall down onto its side. It was Kizoku, Smith saw, and the wolf howled in agony as he landed on his other bad leg and tried to scurry aside out of reach, tears of pain in his eyes as he did.

Masahiro turned and roared at him furiously, charging at him seconds later with his massive teeth bared as soon as he had regained his feet. Smith, however, was already on the move, and darted in and grabbed the other canine by the neck before swinging him onto his back and rushing away down the corridor that the stream had cut, hoping against hope that it didn't lead to a dead end. As it turned out, the passageway wasn't long at all, and in what seemed like mere seconds, Smith could see the end of it…and the waterfall that it led to. Above it, light shone in from a large gap in the rocks, and the Spaniel saw quickly that the outside world was indeed very close by, but inaccessible from there. Cursing their bad luck, he immediately began looking for an alternate way, hearing the furious Masahiro closing the gap behind them second by second. Suddenly, he heard Kizoku call his name.

"Smith!" the wolf said sharply. "There!"

The Spaniel followed where his passenger's muzzle was pointing and gasped as he saw a ledge on the wall above the waterfall, one from which escape was a definite possibility. It looked like a very difficult jump to make to get to it, especially with someone on his back, but at that moment, he knew, they didn't have much of a choice. Steeling his will, Smith pumped his legs as fast as they would move and saw the waterfall's edge approaching quickly as he prepared himself. Then, he reached it and kicked off as hard as he could as soon as his feet were planted, reaching for the ledge with his front legs as Kizoku clung to him for dear life. It wasn't enough. Smith saw his paws miss its edge by inches, and then felt fear clutch him as he and his wolf passenger began to plummet, presumably to their deaths at the bottom of the steep waterfall and wherever it led to. Suddenly though, something grabbed his front paw hard, and he felt his downward momentum cease as he swung forward and hit the rock face under the ledge. Looking up in shock, he saw the last face he had expected to see.

"Zach?" he exclaimed and the Malamute nodded slightly, tightening his hold as he did.

Next to him stood Akame, and the two dogs exchanged a nod as the Kishu reached down and carefully grabbed Kizoku by his good front paw, yanking him up and to safety as Zach did the same to Smith, all of them leaping up to the main ground above it as soon as they had. They were out. Breathing a sigh of relief, Smith squinted as the bright light of day blinded him momentarily, but then found himself immediately surrounded by his friends, all of whom looked elated to see him and were clambering to see if he was still in one piece.

"Smith!" Kurotora exclaimed, looking him over as he did. "Are you all right?"

"I am now." came the tired response, and then the Spaniel looked over at Zach.

"Thanks for the catch." he said with a smile and the Malamute nodded at him again.

"Nice jump." he replied simply and a few of the others chuckled around him.

Then Smith saw someone standing behind Gin, and pulled up in surprise as he recognized Dengen and his whole pack, all of whom were greeting Kizoku enthusiastically as he limped over to them with Akame's help.

"Brother!" the alpha wolf exclaimed in a pleased voice. "You're alive!"

"Yeah." Kizoku said exhaustedly, and then gestured over to Smith. "And I have **him** to thank for it."

Dengen followed his gaze in surprise and then briefly exchanged glances with his sibling before padding over to the Ohu group and walking up to Smith, who stood a little straighter as he approached. Then, to his great surprise, the wolf leader bowed to him, making everyone there grunt in equal shock. Afterwards, he looked Smith in the eye.

"Thank you." he said. "For saving my brother. This doesn't mean that I respect or trust you mutts but…it definitely helps. Thank you."

Smith nodded at him as well, and was about to open his mouth to reply when suddenly the rock wall to his right seemed to explode outward like a bomb. Dogs scattered in all directions as the huge form of Masahiro emerged from the dust with a snarl, grabbing one of Kisaragi's subordinates and biting his head clean off as he did. Leaping back in shock, Gin and Kisaragi quickly took command of their respective packs, Dengen doing the same nearby.

"Everyone get clear!" the Akita bellowed. "Don't attack him until I say!"

"Soldiers of Mutsu," Kisaragi shouted. "Get ready!"

Masahiro roared at them, rearing up onto his hind legs as if he were daring them to attack him, and for a moment, no one moved. Then, John faked a move forward and the bear swung a paw at him, missing his head by mere inches. That though, gave Gin and the others their chance.

"NOW!" the Ohu leader shouted and leapt forward like a bullet, Kisaragi and the others doing the same beside him, all of them latching onto various parts of the huge animal seconds later and biting down as hard as they could.

Dengen and his pack were right behind them and quickly joined in, aiming their attacks at his legs and stomach and trying to knock him down onto his back. Masahiro flailed left and right with his claws, slashing one of the wolves' stomachs open and nicking Hazuki on his hind leg as he dodged aside. Then he bit desperately at Zach, who had broken a branch off a nearby tree and stabbed him in the side with it, but the Malamute was too fast and leapt away to safety as the rampaging bear did everything he could to get his attackers off him. As soon as he could, Gin released his grip and leapt clear as well, squaring himself off to his opponent as both Smith and Chutora made another move towards Masahiro.

"Everyone!" he shouted. "Move!"

Then the Akita sprinted right at the huge bear, moving at nearly top speed as he did, and jumped high into the air right as he was about to reach him. Masahiro saw him coming and tried to slash at him with his claws, but it was too late. Gin pitched forward in midair and began spinning like a saw blade, the concentration on his face evident as he bellowed out his attack's name.

"ZETSU TENROU BATTOUGA!"

As soon as they heard those words, the warriors of both Ohu and Mutsu immediately dodged clear, and Gin landed his hit hard. Blood sprayed everywhere as one of Masahiro's front legs went flying, completely severed in the attack, and his neck was torn clear to the bone, making him slump to the ground lifeless and twitch for a moment before he lay still once and for all. The battle was over. Over by Zach, who looked nothing short of dumbfounded, Kurotora let out a whooping laugh.

"Ha ha!" he exclaimed. "Just as amazing as before leader! He got what he deserved!"

"Well done Gin!" Kisaragi echoed. "My pack is indebted to you for this."

Then Dengen walked over, and Smith could see the satisfied expressions on some of the others' faces as they saw the look of incredulousness in the wolf's eyes.

"Impressive," he conceded. "Very impressive."

Then he turned to Kisaragi, who was busy licking blood off his lips.

"After this," he said, sounding slightly unsure of himself. "I suppose it would be in both of our best interests if we…negotiated. Called a truce to talk things over."

The Mutsu leader nodded.

"Very well." he said. "A truce it is. I look forward to our next meeting."

The two canines nodded at each other, and then Dengen turned and called to his pack.

"Come on!" he said. "We're moving out!"

The other wolves immediately followed him, but Kizoku limped over to Smith, being steadied by one of his packmates as he did. Once they were face to face, the wolf smiled at the Spaniel, doing an admirable job of hiding the pain he was still in.

"Thanks again, Smith." he said. "For everything. You dogs aren't half bad after all."

Smith grinned at him.

"We aim to please." he said teasingly and then nodded at the wolf. "Take care of yourself, Kizoku."

"And you." the wolf replied.

Then he and his comrade turned and carefully followed after their departing pack, disappearing through the trees and out of sight moments later. Once they were gone, Kisaragi turned to Gin with a smirk.

"Well," he said. "I **was** just going to sit around with you guys and talk about old times when you arrived. After this though, I think I owe you a feast."

Gin laughed.

"You don't have to trouble yourself, Kisaragi," he said. "It's the least we could do for a friend."

Kurotora snorted, glancing over at the Akita as he did.

"The hell he shouldn't!" he said. "I'm fucking hungry! Let's kill ourselves a boar and go eat!"

The whole group of them laughed at this and Smith grinned happily, elated that everything had worked out for once. Then they all started walking back towards the Mutsu clan's base, and as they did, Smith fell in beside Zach at the rear of the group, watching as John and Kurotora joked around with each other in front of him. As they did, he turned to the Malamute.

"How are you holding up?" he asked and Zach raised an eyebrow.

"You just went through all **that** and you're concerned about **me**?" he said in a subtlely amused voice and Smith shrugged.

"Hey," he said. "Just cause I had a long couple days doesn't mean I'm not still worried about you guys. So again…you okay?"

Zach paused for a moment, and then met his gaze with an almost unnoticeable smile.

"Not yet." he said. "But I think I will be."

Smith returned the smile, turning back to the path ahead of him.

"Good enough," he said, hearing his stomach growl as he thought of the meal that awaited them. "That's good enough for me."


	9. Story 9: The Tempest

**Author's Note:** *sigh* This one was **hell** to write. Between writers block and story changes, I'm actually amazed it got done at all (I actually had to rewrite half the chapter at one point). Two things to take note of though before you read:

1.) A 'storm surge' is **not** the same thing as a 'tsunami'. You'll understand why I felt the need to put that once you read it.

2.) Some scenes here may seem a tad yaoi-ish, but I assure you, they were not intended that way. They're meant to be simply friend bonding moments to further character development.

*whew!* Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this, because I actually like how it turned out despite how hard it was to write. Thanks! Please Review!

* * *

Gin felt the wind tease at his face again, a sharp blast of it seeming to aim right at his eyes as they moved ever closer to the shore. It would only get worse, he knew, as they were not that far away from the Aomori prefecture's northernmost border, and he could already smell the salty odor of the ocean somewhere nearby. They had left Kisaragi and the Mutsu clan 2 days ago, after having spent an additional 3 with them, and had been somewhat disappointed to leave at all. The rest that the weary group had gotten in their friends' territory had helped them immensely, and when they had left, they had done so with a rejuvenated feel to them. Everyone from Gin himself down to Smith had benefited from their stay there, and now that they were on the move again, they felt as though they could handle anything that was thrown their way. Even Zach's mood was nearly back to normal from what it had been before.

The Malamute had really hit it off with Kisaragi after the incidents with Dengen and Masahiro had come and gone, and had seemed to come to terms with what had happened with his father. Gin was very glad that his friend had managed to pull himself out of the emotional abyss he had been stuck in ever since Morioka, and could tell that the rest of the group silently shared this sentiment as well. That their newfound good morale had lasted past their departure was a nice change of pace for the young Ohu leader, and as they approached the next phase of their trip, it seemed to be contagious. Almost every member of the small pack had taken to being more playful and lighthearted than they normally were, and even John and Akame had toned back their gruff leadership attitudes for more jovial ones. In fact, the only thing that didn't mirror their heightened spirits was the weather.

It had been overcast and rainy for much of the day, and though he had tried to ignore it, Gin was a little annoyed that they couldn't have nicer conditions in which to visit their northernmost neighbor: Hakuro of Hokkaido. He had wondered for months how the Siberian Husky and his clan were doing, as they hadn't seen or heard from him since the end of the wolf war, and Gin could safely say that he was looking forward to reuniting with him. If nothing else, he knew, it would be interesting to see how much time had changed the brash Hokkaido leader…if it had at all. Snapping out of his thoughts, the Akita turned back to the path ahead of them, hearing John and Akame flanking him on either side. All three walked in relative silence, appearing relaxed as they listened to the friendly disagreement that was going on behind them.

"How is he supposed to come to us with only three legs?" Chutora was asking, looking askance at Smith. "It's not like it's easy to get from there to here, you know."

"He's got options." the Spaniel retorted. "He should've come to us and we all could've had our little reunion in Mutsu."

"He's got a family now," John joined in, not even bothering to glance back at them. "What do you want him to do, Smith? Leave 'em there just cause you're too lazy to take a little swim?"

The Spaniel snorted incredulously.

"Him **too**?" he replied and then rolled his eyes. "God, did **everybody** just go out and get laid after the war ended? I must've missed a pack meeting somewhere!"

Gin shook his head as Akame shot the long-eared dog a dirty look.

"Smith…" he said disapprovingly. "My god."

The Kai brothers both laughed at this, but next to them, Zach had a frown on his face.

"Wait." he said, looking confused. "Swim? What swim?"

Gin blinked in surprise as he heard this, hearing Kurotora turn to the Malamute with a frown of his own.

"What do you mean, 'what swim'?" he asked with a look that seemed to say 'Are you an idiot?'. "What do you expect to do, walk there?"

Zach didn't respond, looking truly lost, and Gin raised an eyebrow at him as he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Zach," he said. "You **do** know we're going to Hokkaido, right?"

The Malamute's eyes widened.

"Hokkaido?" he barked. "But I thought – "

Then he trailed off and the Akita saw a look of realization come over his face, one that was quickly replaced by indignant annoyance as he turned his glare onto the dog at Gin's left. Following his gaze, Gin found himself looking right at John, and saw a mischievous smirk plastered on his best friend's face as the Shepherd glanced back at him. Snorting in amusement as he realized what was going on, the Akita shook his head again and continued forward with a smile, hearing John slow up to fall back alongside the Malamute. Once he had, the Shepherd shot him a cocky, mocking grin.

"What's the matter, Zach?" he said in a smug voice. "Don't like water?"

The younger male fixed him with an accusing look.

"You lying little bastard!" he spat. "You told me this Hakuro of yours lived **near** the ocean, not **across **it!

"Hokkaido **is** near the ocean, dipshit." John replied teasingly, licking his fangs. "Or didn't you know that?"

Before the Malamute could answer, they exited the trees they had been walking in and found themselves on a sandy beach, a wide, calm sea laid out in front of them like a great blue wall blocking their path. In the distance, more land was easily visible, but it would clearly take a great effort to reach it from where they were, having no bridges or boats nearby to use to cross. Zach's jaw dropped slightly in surprise upon seeing it's sheer size and John snorted.

"Tch!" he scoffed. "And here I thought you were smart. 'Mastermind' indeed."

The younger dog gave him an evil look.

"You're hilarious, you asshole." he said and Gin laughed.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks. Besides, if Hakuro can cross it, we can."

Then he turned to look at their destination, adding:

"Hopefully he's expecting us when we get there though. I'm not exactly sure where on Hokkaido he lives."

Akame turned to him, looking calm but alert.

"If we're going to go, leader," he said. "We should do it now before the tide comes in."

Gin nodded in agreement and behind him, Kurotora did the same.

"I second that." he said in his gravelly voice. "I don't think we wanna get caught out there when **that** gets here."

The Akita knew immediately where he was looking and sighed in silent agreement. A large cluster of nearly jet-black storm clouds was building on the far reaches of the horizon, a clear culmination of all the rotten weather they'd been having, and seemed to be creeping closer by the minute. Gin turned back to the Kai dog moments later.

"In that case," he said. "Let's do this!"

Then he glanced over at Zach.

"You **can** swim, right?" he asked warily and the Malamute nodded instantly.

"Just because I didn't know about this doesn't mean I can't swim." he replied. "2 days hunting duty says I beat you all there."

"Oh, you're on!" Kurotora said immediately and Gin nodded in satisfaction.

Then he turned and they all began making their way down to the waterline, feeling the soft sand sliding around their paws as they did. Moments later, they were on their way, and Gin began to set a quick pace, using his bear dog training and nearly boundless energy to help him cut through the frigid ocean like it wasn't even there. Behind him, Akame, John, and the others kept up easily, staying close just in case, and much to his surprise, Zach did as well. True to his word, the Malamute was actually a talented swimmer, and Gin watched in mild fascination as the other dog passed him in the water, Kurotora trying to break even with him as he did. The Akita would've chuckled at his friends' playfulness, but the distance of this swim was even greater than that of the one to Shikoku, and he wisely chose to conserve his strength for the way ahead. As it turned out, this was a smart idea.

Nearly 20 minutes passed before they got anywhere near the opposite shore, and finally, after what felt like forever, the exhausted group began to reach their destination. Up ahead of them, Zach had just reached the shore himself, a clearly tired Kurotora not far behind, and Gin made a mental note to himself to never underestimate the Malamute's abilities again. As if on cue, Zach turned to them, a satisfied look on his face as the rest of his friends finally felt ground beneath their paws in the water.

"See?" he called, sounding very pleased with himself through his exhausted panting. "I can swim fine! Next time though, a little warning would be great!"

Suddenly, before any of them could answer him, something shot out from behind a rock to his right, moving quickly as it cut the distance between them. The Malamute let out a yelp of surprise as he was hit hard in the side, and the group could only watch as he was tackled to the ground and pinned firmly by his attacker, a puff of sand going up as they landed in a heap. It was another dog, Gin and the others could see, and soon two more joined him, grabbing Zach's hind legs with their jaws and effectively immobilizing him.

"Zach!" Chutora shouted and began swimming faster, making to rush to his aid.

Gin, however, had seen something he hadn't.

"Wait, Chutora!" he said, calling him back as he felt a grin spread over his muzzle. "He's in no danger."

The elder Kai looked puzzled, but then examined his friend's attacker more closely from where he was and let out a snort of amusement moments later. Standing over Zach, his beady eyes wide with excitement as he flaunted his dominating posture, was a large, three-legged Husky, his black and white fur ruffling and blowing in the ocean breeze as he moved. Zach, for his part, felt a pair of strong jaws clamped firmly around his throat, and growled in confusion as he hugged the other dog's head to him tightly to prevent him from jerking backwards and tearing it out. Then, however, the Husky spoke.

"So you thought you'd invade Hokkaido, huh?" he said loudly in a smooth, brash voice that dripped with self-confidence. "Well, I bet you didn't expect to meet **me**, did you? Hakuro of Hokkaido has arrived!"

"Hakuro!" Gin called, stepping onto the beach and shaking the water out of his fur as he did. "It's okay! He's with us!"

The Husky's head shot up immediately, bringing Zach's head with it as he kept his grip firm on the Malamute's neck.

"Huh?" he said at the sudden voice, and then a look of recognition spread over his face as he saw who had spoken. "Gin! Everyone!"

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"About time you showed up." he said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd **ever** end up out my way. I thought you'd given up entirely on coming."

Gin shook his head, walking up with the others at his side.

"Of course not," he said with a respectful bow. "We're just a little behind schedule, that's all."

Hakuro nodded, a pleased look on his face as he took in each of the Ohu soldiers one by one. Then he glanced down at Zach again and looked back at the Akita moments later.

"So this guy's yours?" he asked and Zach growled from under him.

"Yes, this guy's there's!" he snapped. "Get off me!"

Hakuro snorted, releasing his grip and taking a step back as his subordinates did the same. As soon as he had, Zach rolled back to his paws with a glare, retreating back to Akame's side moments later with his hackles standing high. Hakuro seemed completely unperturbed.

"Well," the Hokkaido leader said, ignoring the amused, knowing look that Gin and the others were giving at the exchange. "In that case, I welcome you too. What'd you think of my greeting?"

The Malamute's eyes widened in annoyed surprise.

"**That** was a greeting?" he said and Hakuro grinned, a few of his subordinates stepping up closer behind him.

"Ha ha ha!" he laughed, his tongue lolling out. "Of course! A Hokkaido greeting! Trust me, pal, if I had actually tried to do you real harm, we'd be comparing stumps right now."

He held out his what was left of his right front leg, a short, rounded forelimb that ended at where his knee should've been, the result of a fight with a wolf a number of years before. Zach eyed it carefully and then nodded, giving a little bow of his own as he did.

"I'll take your word for it." he said, his anger evaporating as his attitude returned to normal. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Hakuro responded and then turned to Gin and gestured over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's head back to my base. My hunters should just be getting back with some food."

"Only if you swear there's no trouble we have to help you deal with." Kurotora replied and the Husky shook his head.

"All quiet on the northern front." he said and Gin felt any lingering concern leave him.

"In that case," he said happily, stepping up beside his friend. "Lead the way."

With that, the whole group of them set off inland, following Hakuro as he led them away from the shorelines of Hokkaido.

* * *

As it turned out, the main base of the Hokkaido clan was only a few miles away, resting comfortably amongst the rolling hills and valleys that made up their island home. In the distance, looming almost threateningly in the mists caused by the rapidly dampening weather, were dozens of sharp-peaked mountains, hidden volcanoes that served as constant reminders of the potential instability of the area. Despite this though, the landscape around them was very nice, and Gin found himself greatly impressed with Hakuro's territory. The Husky and his pack lived in a hilly area near some train tracks and a cliff-like rock formation, one that rose steeply out of the ground as the land ascended and provided caves for the dogs to sleep in. Most of their time though they spent on the plains that rested nearby, training younger soldiers and play fighting with each other while their packmates solved quarrels around the area and hunted for food, as was their duty by pack law.

Hakuro himself seemed quite proud of his home, and as he and his new guests approached it, his mood remained upbeat, the Husky's loud, confident laugh echoing around the area as he and the Kai brothers joked around near the front of the group. Gin smiled, feeling very relaxed. This was the kind of day they fought their wars to obtain, and he realized how grateful he was for it just as they crested a hill and came across a group of dogs, some 40 strong, resting comfortably amongst the grasses of the plain they were on. It was the Hokkaido pack. As they approached, a few of them began to notice, and soon a brown-furred Kishu mix trotted up expectantly.

"Boss," he said, "Any trouble down by the shore?"

"No," Hakuro answered bluntly, glancing around as if ensuring that the rest of his clan was still intact. "Just some old comrades come for a visit. Are Ashikaga and his hunters back yet?"

"Not yet, sir," the other dog answered, turning to walk with them. "But they should be soon."

"Good." the Husky answered. "Take your group and make a sweep of the borders. If anyone tries to pull something now that they're here, I want some warning."

He gestured back at Gin and the others as he said this, and the Kishu mix nodded dutifully.

"Yes, sir!" he said and bounded away, calling loudly to a few other large males idling nearby, all of them looking as though they were itching for some action.

Hakuro, however, paid no further attention to them, and headed instead for the caves that served as his actual home, Gin and his friends close behind. As soon as they approached it, a beautiful female husky and four small, hyperactive pups came striding out the entrance, the former smiling at her mate as he approached.

"Hakuro, dear," she said in a kind, yet strong voice. "You're back."

The Hokkaido leader simply nodded and turned to Gin and the others.

"This is my mate, Kazumi." he said, watching in approval as the Ohu dogs nodded respectfully at her. "And these are – "

Before he could finish, his pups suddenly interrupted him, leaping around excitedly and clamping their small jaws down on the legs of anyone they came to, letting out little growls as they did. One, a grayish-blue male, made a leaping snap at his father's leg stump, making the older Husky bat him away lightly in mild annoyance. The pup was undeterred.

"Dad," he said, panting faster than Gin knew was possible. "You beat the enemy, right? Down by the ocean? You won the fight, right?"

"Calm down, Suzaku." Hakuro said, the patience of a father in his voice. "It was barely anything. The next time I fight for real, you'll be the first to know."

The pup looked vaguely disappointed and Kazumi looked at her mate.

"Are you sure it's safe, Hakuro?" she asked. "Those beaches have a lot of places to hide."

The Husky smiled reassuringly at her, but to Gin's surprise, it looked very forced.

"Yeah," he said in a stiff voice that made the Akita frown in mild concern. "It's fine. No enemies today. Just a new acquaintance I had to rough up a little for fun."

Near the back of the group, Zach rolled his eyes as Kazumi gave the Hokkaido leader an exasperated look and stepped forward to them.

"I apologize to whichever one of you it was." she said in a tone that suggested she had done this a thousand times before. "Hakuro doesn't know when to stop himself sometimes."

"Oh, muzzle it, you fussy female." came the answer and then the Husky turned to Gin. "Come on, let's go talk inside. Byakko, don't even try it!"

Another of the pups had tried to bite at Gin's tail with his little teeth and shrank back guiltily as he saw the stern look his father gave him. The Akita and Smith both grinned at this and then followed their friend inside, the others tailing them closely. With those smiles though, came a feeling of wariness. The black clouds from the horizon were now nearly overhead, and Gin was beginning to feel great unease slowly building in him, though he couldn't explain why. After all, he had seen storms before. Why was this one any different? One glance over at Akame told him that the ninja-dog was feeling the same thing, and his calm red orbs eyed the dark sky suspiciously, as if expecting an enemy to suddenly plummet out of it and attack them. Neither said a word though, and soon enough, they were in the caves. The moment they entered, another dog came bounding in behind them, flanked by a few others, all of them carrying dead animals in their mouths.

"Boss," the lead one said, dropping a large dead rabbit on the ground. "Here."

"Ah! Ashikaga!" Hakuro said, sounding like his normal self again, "Good work! Bring in as much as you can."

Then he turned as the other dog left and gave John a cocky grin.

"All we need now is a good fight to entertain us." he said, and the Shepherd dipped his head in agreement. "Feel free to use any of my males if you want. I'm sure they'd appreciate the action."

"Oh, I think I got all I need right here." John replied, licking his chops as he looked over at his friends challengingly. "Right, Kurotora? Zach, I'd invite you to try your luck but, I like my fights to be challenging."

The two males looked up from where they had lain down and the younger Kai dog snorted.

"Any time you wanna make a move, John," he said, his mouth full of rabbit. "Be my guest."

The Shepherd smirked but said nothing as Kurotora went back to eating, turning his gaze towards Zach instead as the Malamute rested back on his haunches with a smile.

"Sorry," he said in a thoroughly mocking voice. "I've got this thing about fighting inferior breeds. Besides, it'd be awfully hard to live together if I embarrassed you in front of your friends, wouldn't it John?"

Smith nearly choked on his food at this and John shot to his paws with an indignant look, his hackles raised.

"**Inferior**?" he growled. "Stand and fight you little bastard! I'll break you in two!"

Everyone burst out laughing and Gin did as well, taking a bite out of his own kill as he did and watching as Hakuro did the same beside him.

"Ha ha!" the Hokkaido leader laughed. "That's more like it! **Now** it feels like old times. You should tell me all about – "

Suddenly, there was a massive clap of thunder and the whole group of them jumped visibly, their heads turning quickly towards the sound as the conversation stopped abruptly. His mirth fading as quickly as it had come, Hakuro stood and walked over to the cave entrance, looking up at the sky as a few of his subordinates barked out orders to others still outside. Seeing this, Gin did the same, striding up beside him as his friends lowered their voices and continued talking quietly amongst themselves behind them.

"Seems like heaven's angry today." Hakuro remarked, glancing at him. "What danger did you bring my way this time?"

"I **do** seem to have a knack for attracting it, don't I?" the Akita agreed, looking at the ground as soon as he had. "Hakuro, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Is everything all right with you and your family?"

The Husky shifted uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown and Gin tilted his head a little.

"You sounded…bothered earlier." he said. "I know it's none of my business, but I wanted to make sure that – "

"Everything's fine, Gin." came the blunt answer, a respectful note behind its curtness.

The Akita was thoroughly unconvinced, but nodded anyway and backed off, realizing that his friend didn't want to talk about whatever it was and knowing where to draw the line. As it turned out, it wouldn't have mattered, for at that moment, the wind began to pick up again, and the Husky turned to his guests.

"I'm gonna go bring the rest of my pack back in." he said. "This damn weather's getting worse, and I don't want them out in it. After that, I'll be in the other cave for the night with Kazumi. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Of course." Gin said with a nod and Akame did the same from behind him, both of them watching as their three-legged friend dashed out into the rain, which had begun falling in torrents.

The two exchanged a look, and Gin knew that the Kishu had noticed the slight change in Hakuro's behavior as well.

"It's not our place to pry." Akame said and Gin nodded with a small sigh.

"You're right." he agreed reluctantly. "I guess we should get some sleep ourselves."

The ninja dog returned the nod dutifully and they both padded back over to their friends without another word, Gin lying down next to John as Akame pushed in beside both of them. Then, a few minutes later, they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Gin's eyes shot open as he felt it, a sudden vibration that jolted him out of a dead sleep. He raised his head in confusion, yawning widely as he looked around him. Outside the cave, it was still raining hard and the wind had picked up significantly, the grasses of the plain sweeping back and forth violently as if being shaken to death by an unseen hand. Despite this though, for a moment he saw nothing, and wondered if he had imagined what he felt; a dream that had seemed more real than it really was perhaps. Then though, he felt it again, a faint rumble that seemed to come from underneath him. The Akita stood up, seeing a white shape do the same beside him and realizing that Akame had awoken as well. Both dogs looked at each other with wary frowns, and then Smith's voice sounded from behind them.

"Wh-What is it?" the Spaniel asked sleepily. "What's going on? Where are **you** going?"

Gin saw Zach walk up on his other side, striding past him moments later.

"Shh!" the Malamute said, shushing his friend. "Did you feel that?"

"You felt it too, Zach?" Akame asked, stepping up beside him, and the Malamute nodded.

"Sounded almost like a landslide." he said and walked slowly to the entrance of the cave, Gin and Akame following him as the others began to awaken behind them.

"No." Gin said, listening closely for any sign of trouble. "There can't be any landslides from here."

Then, to their right, Hakuro walked out of his cave as well, an annoyed but suspicious look on his face. Behind him, his pups bounded out into the dim light of morning, their excited bouncing taking them further out onto the grassy plain than their father clearly liked.

"Oi!" Hakuro barked sternly at them. "Get back here, now! This storm might be dangerous!"

None of the four listened, and they continued to tussle and tumble over each other while the adults listened behind them for any sign of trouble. Then Akame turned to Gin.

"I'll check it out." he said, and ran out across the field to the tall trees waiting beyond it, ones tall enough to get a good view of what was happening in the area.

Once he reached it, he leaped up into the nearest one's branches with more difficulty than normal, and dug his claws tightly into its bark as he reached the top. Then he scanned his keen gaze over the landscape for any sign of trouble. Suddenly, as he looked around carefully, feeling the wind trying to knock him off his perch, the ninja dog saw a curious sight. Though the light was still dim and rain was stinging his eyes, he could see clearly that the beach they had landed on when they came over from the mainland was gone. Instead, the ocean seemed much closer than he remembered, and Akame frowned, his senses screaming 'DANGER' in every pore of his body.

'What the hell…?' he thought, stepping forward to get a closer look.

What he saw made his blood run cold with terror. The water was moving. The reason it had seemed closer to them was a good one…it **was** closer to them, and moving quickly closer by the minute. The storm overhead was much larger, and more intense than they had thought it would be, and right then, Akame understood what was going on. It was a storm surge…and it was a massive one. Leaping down quickly from the tree, the ninja dog nearly tripped over his own legs as he tried desperately to run back to the others. Back by the caves, Gin saw him coming.

"Get to higher ground!" the Kishu shouted hoarsely, his distance making him sound faint. "NOW! Get out of there!"

He didn't say what the danger was, but one look in his frightened eyes told Gin everything he needed to know. They needed to run. He turned quickly to Hakuro.

"Hakuro," he barked urgently. "Get the rest of your pack and move them to the mountains! We need to go now!"

The Husky nodded, turning and half-shoving Kazumi with his head towards the Ohu soldiers.

"Go with them!" he said. "I'll get Ashikaga and the others!"

"But Hakuro," she protested. "You – "

"Don't argue with me!" he snapped fiercely. "Just go!"

Then suddenly, as dogs began streaming out of the caves and following their departing comrades, the Hokkaido leader got a terrified look on his face. Whirling around in fear, he looked out at the plains, and the four small dots that were moving ever farther away from them.

"Suzaku!" he bellowed. "Byakko! Get your asses back here NOW!"

The pups' heads shot up in confusion, all of them looking hurt from having been yelled at.

"Damn it!" the Husky snarled. "All of you come to me! Right now!"

None of them moved, and the four small forms looked at each other as if asking what they had done to make their father so angry. Swearing to himself, Hakuro dashed forward, feeling the rumble from the approaching water growing louder as he tried to get to his children before any harm befell them. Suddenly, Zach ran and cut him off, looking back at him with a glare that wasn't teasing or humorous in any way.

"I'll get them." he said quickly. "You get your pack out of here!"

Then he turned and shot off across the field towards them, leaving the Husky looking almost angry behind him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "**I'm** their father! I don't need help to – "

Before he could finish though, Kurotora ran past him as well, his quick stride allowing him to easily gain ground on Zach as he dashed to the pups' aid too. Hakuro growled, turning back quickly towards any of his clan that still remained.

"All of you," he ordered. "Follow Gin and the others! Head for the mountains!"

Kazumi looked as though she wanted to protest, but Smith turned and pushed her roughly towards the front of the group, letting Ashikaga begin directing them out of the area as he and Chutora waited behind for the pups. Moments later, Zach and Kurotora raced back, carrying Genbu and Seiriyuu in their mouths. Depositing them at their father's feet, they turned immediately and ran back for the other two, not looking back as Hakuro and John grabbed the young dogs and handed them to Smith and Chutora. Then suddenly, right as they reached the last two pups, who sat quaking amongst the grasses of the field beneath them, the wall of water crashed through the trees on the borders of the plain. It rushed towards them with a whooshing roar, sounding almost angry as they all looked up at it in terror. Over in the middle of the plain, Zach and Kurotora had almost no time to react. Moving quickly, the Malamute and the Kai turned and covered the tiny, yelping forms with their bodies as much as they could, and everyone else could only watch helplessly as the raging storm surge slammed into them hard, and all four vanished beneath the waves.

"NO!" Hakuro howled in desperate fear, and Gin silently echoed his terror, feeling his stomach fall to his feet as his two friends were suddenly gone right before his eyes.

Then John's voice broke him out of his stupor.

"Gin!" the Shepherd yelled. "Don't lose your head!"

Nodding as he realized that they themselves were still in danger, he bounded up to the higher ledge where Chutora and Smith were, the former being restrained from leaping into the water after his brother. Gin gestured wildly at them with his muzzle.

"Go!" he said commandingly. "Get Hakuro's pack out of here! We're right behind you!"

Both seemed to pause for a moment, as if uncertain whether to leave their friends behind, but soon gave in and bounded off towards the mountains, vanishing from the Akita's sights almost as soon as they had. Momentarily satisfied, Gin turned back to his remaining companions…and almost instantly realized that they wouldn't be following them after all. Off to his right, John rushed to meet Akame as the ninja dog made a desperate leap towards the ledge, and the Shepherd grabbed his friend's paw in his jaws right as the water reached them. Then though, as if it were a cruel game, the ground beneath him gave way and both males plunged down into the surge as well, getting swept away as soon as they had. Hakuro joined them moments later, getting knocked off the rocks as he was climbing up to meet Gin and soon, before he even realized it had happened, the Akita was all alone.

Not even pausing to think, Gin dove into the water after his friends, his legs kicking madly as currents and debris pelted him from every side and threatened to pull him under. Clenching his jaws together tightly in concentration, the Ohu leader fought against them, wincing as he reached Hakuro and a large branch smashed into his hip, making it go numb with pain as a result. The Husky was spinning end over end in the torrent, trying as hard as he could to right himself but to no avail. Reaching out with his head, Gin grabbed his friend by the scruff of the neck and threw him over his back, feeling himself sink a little in the water as a result.

"G-Gin – " Hakuro sputtered. "Wh-what –?"

The Akita didn't answer and kept swimming, trying to stay afloat as the scenery rushed past them and the mountains further inland grew ever closer. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the water around them began to dissipate, and soon the two drenched dogs tumbled to a halt, struggling to catch their breath as they righted themselves. Panting as he stood up, Gin shook himself hard as Hakuro spit water out of his muzzle a few feet over, the Husky's normally brash, fun-loving demeanor now nowhere to be seen. Gin walked up to him almost immediately.

"Hakuro," he said. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." came the blunt answer. "I'm fine."

The Akita raised his head and looked around. He didn't recognize anything.

"Where are we?" he asked, and Hakuro shook his head.

"I don't know." he admitted. "Most of the trees are gone. We'll have to use guesswork to find our way back…when this damn water recedes that is. SUZAKU! BYAKKO!"

There was no answer and Gin turned to him again, a look of wary concern on his face.

"Where did all that come from?" he asked, shivering as he felt a strong gust of wind send a chill through his wet fur.

Hakuro glanced over at him seriously, seemingly barely holding himself together emotionally.

"The ocean." he responded. "That was a storm surge. They're rare, but they **do **happen. This is the first time I've ever seen one that big. My father used to tell me about them when I was a pup. They can be extremely deadly. None of that matters right now, though! I've gotta find my pups!"

Gin sniffed at the air worriedly.

"This storm's not over." he said. "Something else could happen if we wander off. We need to head for the mountains."

"They won't survive out in this without protection!" Hakuro shot back. "I'm not leaving them here."

"Zach and Kurotora are with them." Gin said, trying to keep his tone calm. "They'll protect them, Hakuro. Us wandering around getting even more lost isn't going to help them. Did you see where John and Akame got swept to?"

"Towards Hakodate I think." the Husky said almost dismissively. "It's a human city that's nearby. Gin, please, if they die, I'll never be able to live with myself!"

The Ohu leader looked at his friend comfortingly.

"Hakuro," he said. "I know you're worried about your family, but you need to trust me. Your pups are in good hands. Everyone is going to head for the mountains, including them. We need to as well."

The Husky's ears reversed on his head.

"Good hands?" he repeated skeptically. "They might not be in any hands at all! Honestly, if Kurotora and that Malamute friend of yours are even still alive it'll be a miracle. They got hit full force by that water."

Gin was not to be swayed.

"I trust them." he said in a determined voice, then after a pause added: "I have faith in them. Kuro's too stubborn to die, and Zach's…an impressive male. If I've learned anything from being their leader, it's to never count either one of them out."

Hakuro seemed to study him for a moment, but then sighed deeply and nodded in defeat, nearly smirking despite himself as he did.

"Fine." he said, conceding defeat. "We'll do things your way."

Then he turned and started walking slowly off to the West, adding over his shoulder:

"But we better get moving. I think you may be right about this storm not being over."

Gin nodded silently and followed him, hoping that he was doing right thing.

'John…' he thought. 'Akame…Kurotora…Zach… Wherever you are, please…be safe.'

Then the two males sped up their pace, and were gone.

* * *

_"…weather has been unusually bad as of late, particularly in the Northern Prefectures, where disaster is narrowly being averted as Typhoon Kujira sweeps by just offshore, causing flooding and winds in excess of over 300 km per hour…"_

Nobuo scowled at the television, taking another swig of his saké as he did. He'd always hated excess background noise, and this annoying machine was definitely getting on his nerves. Not that he could **do** anything about it, of course, as the rest of Hakodate was no better. It was bad enough that he was low on funds again, but now that he couldn't even get some drinks without having his calm ruined by technology, things just seemed to be getting worse and worse. He glared up at the screen.

'Yeah? Just wait 'til I find the controller and hit the 'mute' button. That'll give **you** a disaster of your own, you fucking thing.' he thought in annoyance.

_"…not improving the situation are reports of a massive storm surge striking the southern coast of Hokkaido, the result of the storm's low pressure, and increased winds in that area."_

Nobuo looked up at that, and he watched as a map popped up on the screen. What did it just say?

"_At this time there are no further reports, but residents of the affected areas are advised to stay inland and indoors until the typhoon passes by and the weather is back to normal. For Tokyo News, I'm Arisa Hanai…"_

'So that storm finally decided to stop messing around, huh?' he thought. 'Well now, this has possibilities!'

Standing up from his seat, the young man moved further down the bar to the far end, stroking his goatee silently as he did. Moments later, he sat down beside another young man, this one thin and clean-shaven, who was busy counting how much money he had on him.

"Masato," Nobuo said. "We gotta talk."

"So," the other man said disinterestedly, "Talk."

"Not here."

"Look, man." Masato said, turning to him. "If you wanna say something, just come out and – "

"Okay, fine!" Nobuo rolled his eyes. "Listen, did you hear about all this shit this storm is causing?"

"You mean that big-ass wave that ended up practically on our doorstep?" Masato said, taking a drink. "Obviously. You're probably the last one to find out about it. Why?"

"Cause it's a golden opportunity, my friend."

Masato looked at him as though he was crazy, turning completely to face him.

"You're not serious."

"I'm dead serious."

"You wanna hunt?" he said with an incredulous note in his voice. "In **this**?"

Nobuo nodded.

"Think about it, man." he said. "We could get a good number of dogs today. They're probably all out running around anyway cause of this chaos. All we gotta do is catch 'em."

"OK," Masato said, rubbing his temple with a finger. "Never mind, first of all, that dog hunting around here is illegal. This typhoon is nearly at the peak of its power. And you wanna go out in it?"

Nobuo waved him off.

"No one'll catch us." he said. "They'll be too busy helping everybody else out. And we'll be in and out before anything can happen."

Matsuo looked unsure, and the other man leaned in closer.

"Come on, man." he said bitingly. "Don't puss out on me now. I need this money. All we need are a couple of these mutts and we can sell 'em to labs around here. Dog-fighting rings are always looking for new meat. We can use my father's tranquilizer gun. It's really powerful, and he'll never miss it. This is the best time to go, trust me."

Matsuo glared over at him, looking as though he were contemplating his options carefully. Finally, he turned back to the counter.

"Damn it." he swore, downing the last of his drink.

Then he turned to Nobuo.

"Fine." he said. "But we do this fast. And we **cannot** get caught!"

The bearded man held out his hands to either side in what looked like a shrug.

"Who's gonna catch us?" he said as if he were talking to an idiot and Matsuo shook his head.

"All right." he said, grabbing his coat from the seat next to him. "Let's do it."

Nobuo nodded, smirking as he did, and tossed some money at the bartender. Then they turned, walked to the entrance, and were gone.

* * *

"Gin!"

John gritted his teeth as once again no one answered, the cuts across his chest stinging as salt water from his wet fur dripped into them. Over to his right, Akame was standing atop a pile of fallen trees, seeing if he could find anything useful with his keen vision.

"GIN!"

Silence again. The Shepherd swore under his breath and walked back over to his white-furred friend, who leapt down to meet him as he approached.

"Anything?" John asked, and Akame shook his head.

"No." he answered gravely. "And I have no idea where we are to top it off."

John scowled, a look of mild surprise on his face as he tried to mentally push back his concern over his best friend's safety.

"Terrific." he said sarcastically. "Well, in that case we'll just have to head for where the others went won't we? Meet up with Chutora and Smith at the mountains."

"Mmm." Akame agreed with a nod. "That's definitely what Gin's going to do. It makes sense for us to as well. And what was that look for?"

"What look?"

"You seemed surprised." the ninja dog answered, then cocked his head. "Why?"

John shrugged.

"I dunno." he said, shaking some lingering drops of water off his fur. "I guess I'm just used to you knowing everything, Akame. I expect too much of you I guess."

The Kishu snorted in mild amusement.

"Oh really?" he replied. "Well, I'll have to work on that, won't I? Meanwhile, you can work on **not** falling behind. I plan to move at a fast pace."

John let out a bark-like laugh.

"You're doubting **me** now?" he asked almost incredulously. "John? Huh. And here I thought you knew me."

"I guess you'll just have to impress me all over again." Akame said, licking his fangs as he looked back and forth at the landscape. "We should get moving."

John nodded.

"I agree." he said. "We shouldn't waste any more time."

Satisfied, the Kishu turned and made to dash off towards their destination, John right behind him as he did. Suddenly though, a clap of thunder sounded loudly overhead, making both dogs stop and glance up at the sky warily.

"God damn, weather." John growled lightly, then seemed to clench his jaws together again. "What about Zach and Kurotora? Think we should look for them first?"

Akame began padding forward again and the Shepherd mirrored his movement.

"Once we find Gin." he said seriously. "As leader, he's more important. In the meantime, we'll just have to have to hope that they're okay."

Then he seemed to get a teasing twinkle in his normally stoic eyes.

"Why?" he asked. "You worried about Zach?"

John grunted in surprise, wrinkling his muzzle irritatedly at the older male.

"I'm worried about **both** of them." he replied pointedly. "And what the hell is **that** look supposed to mean? There something you wanna say, Akame?"

The Kishu shrugged good-naturedly.

"Just that in all the time I've known you, I've never seen you tease someone as much as him." he said. "It's interesting to me."

"Feh! Don't get too fascinated." John snorted dismissively. "He's an easy target and he fights back. I like that. It keeps me in battle mode so I won't stagnate or something. That way I'm ready when there's fang work to be done."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, John." Akame said coolly, stepping over a large broken branch. "We're both the same rank. It's really none of my business anyway."

"Hmph."

The ninja dog sniffed at the ground, turning a moment later to begin heading East, and gesturing at John to follow him as he did. Then he smiled almost benignly over at his friend.

"Besides," he added before dashing off across the landscape. "You two go well together."

"WHAT?"

Akame chuckled under his breath, hearing the Shepherd chasing after him furiously as he kept running. Deep down though, despite his rare display of humor, he was worried as well, and hoped that Gin and the others had survived the flood intact.

'We'll find out soon,' he thought. 'No matter what the result. One way or another…we'll find out soon.'

* * *

Gin squinted into the rain as it continued to fall in torrents, occasional lulls allowing him moments of peace before it renewed its assault and he was forced to endure it again. Beside him, Hakuro was doing the same, mumbling occasional swear words to himself under his breath as the wind changed the downpour's direction constantly and hit him from multiple sides at once. Up ahead of them, the mountains of Hokkaido loomed ever closer, and Gin was eager to get there as soon as possible to make sure that the others had made it out safely.

"How much further?" he asked, not looking at Hakuro as he did.

"We've got a ways to go." came the answer. "The caves Ashikaga took my pack to are an emergency base of ours. They're pretty high up, just in case."

The Akita nodded, resigning himself to the fact that they had no choice but to keep weathering the storm until they reached their destination. Suddenly, Hakuro stopped right as they entered a clearing. Turning to him, Gin opened his mouth to ask why.

"Hey!"

The Akita looked towards the sudden voice as soon as it made itself known, and he saw a large group of dogs come striding out of the trees to their right, all of them looking surprised by their unexpected meeting.

"Hakuro!" the one at the front, a Dalmatian, barked. "I thought you would've been long gone by now. Doesn't your pack have a base in the mountains for days like this?"

"We're going there now." came the Husky's answer. "What are **you** doing here, Shuji?"

The Dalmatian trotted up to him, the rest of his group at his sides.

"Looking for shelter." he said. "We've gathered a couple other packs together as well. This is pretty much everyone that's left from around this area. Now that you're here though, you can take over and get us the hell out of here."

Hakuro let out a humorless laugh.

"Of course I can!" he said. "Can't just leave you lot here, can I?"

"The hell he can!" came a new voice, and Gin panned his gaze to its owner immediately. "Shuji, this is stupid! We're heading inland, and we're going ourselves!"

It was a large Mastiff who had spoken, and Shuji looked over at him crossly.

"We talked about this, Sadao." he said in a strangely patient voice. "**I** make decisions for my own pack. Feel free to do what you will with yours, but mine is off limits."

"So you're trusting your safety to this cripple has-been?" Sadao scoffed angrily. "It's no wonder your clan is always losing members!"

The whole clearing went silent at that, and Gin felt a sudden rush of anger shoot through him. How dare this dog insult a boss like that in his own territory, and a friend of his no less! Before he could say or do anything though, his eyes panned over to Hakuro, and he stopped where he was. The Hokkaido leader had gone stock-still, a deadly look on his face, and Gin saw not a trace of the arrogant, brash mirth he was known for present at all. The Husky took a step towards the other male threateningly.

"**What** did you just call me?" he asked in a near growl of a voice.

Sadao didn't back down for a moment, even as dogs nearby retreated a few steps away from him, recognizing a fight in the making when they saw one.

"Your time is over, Hakuro!" he snapped. "You can't even defend yourself anymore, let alone an entire territory! If we're gonna survive this storm, someone competent needs to take command! So I'm volunteering myself for the position. As of right now, I'm Hokkaido's new grand leader. If you don't like that…tough."

Then he turned to the other dogs.

"All of you," he called. "Follow me! We're heading inland!"

Right as he turned to walk away though, Hakuro's voice echoed through the clearing as well.

"No one move!"

All the dogs who had begun to follow Sadao's lead stopped dead and looked at each other, confused over what course to take. Sadao himself, meanwhile, turned angrily back to the Husky.

"You're time's **done**, Hakuro!" he repeated. "Don't make me kill you!"

"Kill me?" Hakuro replied, a ferocity in his voice that Gin hadn't heard since the final battle against Akakabuto. "I'm Hakuro "The Brown Bear Slayer" you fucking idiot! Did you think they called me that for no reason? I don't lose…**ever**. You think I'm useless without my front leg, then feel free to prove it to me! I'll send you straight down to swim in a different kind of water."

The Mastiff looked both livid and confused until Hakuro looked him straight in the eyes, his hackles standing up, and added:

"They call it the River Styx."

That was the last straw. With a hideous snarl, Sadao launched himself at the Husky, and Hakuro, never being one for dodging and weaving, did the same. The two males met in midair moments later in a snarling clash of fangs, biting and tearing viciously at any part of each other they could reach. Gin stepped back into the circle that had formed around them, knowing better than to interfere with a leader's battle, and watched as Hakuro ducked a bite from Sadao and jammed his paw hard into the Mastiff's throat. Sadao stumbled instantly, gasping for air as his windpipe was stunned, and Hakuro wasted no further time. Biting down hard with his razor sharp fangs, the Husky grabbed his opponent's cheek in his jaws and tore half of it off with a sickening ripping sound, a jet of blood following in its wake. Sadao screamed loudly in pain as he felt it and then immediately went on the offensive. Lunging forward, he barreled into the Husky in a sudden berserker attack, knocking the Hokkaido leader over onto his back and leaving him open for a deathblow. Moments later, Sadao tried to do just that, snarling savagely as he went straight for Hakuro's throat, making Gin tense in nervous preparation. It didn't at all go how he had expected though.

Before Sadao could reach his target, Hakuro kicked his hind legs out hard and sunk them deep into the other male's stomach, winding him yet again and sending him stumbling off to the left. Then he rolled to his paws and in one fluid series of motions, knocked Sadao over, grabbed him by the throat, and tore it out in an explosion of tendons and blood. The Mastiff let out a gargling whine and coughed up blood for a moment, his body twitching slightly as life left it. Then he went limp and lay still, his eyes open wide in a death stare, clearly shocked at the last thing they had seen. The clearing went silent again, and Hakuro turned to the rest of them, blood coating the edges of his mouth as he took a few steps forward.

"Now then," he said, his eyes burning angrily. "Anyone **else** have a problem with me?"

No one answered, but a number of dogs shook their head quickly, fearful perhaps of inciting the Hokkaido leader's wrath if they didn't. Then Gin turned to them.

"Gather up the rest of your group." he said. "There's nothing else to see here. We leave shortly."

The dogs slowly did what he said, a wave of mumbling rippling through them as they did, and Gin turned to look at Hakuro. To his surprise, the Husky had already begun walking off away from them, his head hanging a little bit lower than the Akita was used to seeing. Gin frowned. Hakuro had been acting somewhat strangely for quite a while now, from his apprehension around his family to the scene that had just played out before him, and he was determined to finally get to the bottom of it. Taking a deep breath, the Ohu leader trotted after his friend, catching up to him in moments as he followed him into the trees and out of earshot of their new companions. Hakuro glanced over at him as soon as he did.

"Gin," he said in a low, un-Hakuro-like voice. "Could you give me a minute?"

"I'm not sure I should." the Akita answered. "Hakuro, we need to talk."

"No we don't."

"Oh yes we do." Gin shot back calmly. "You haven't been acting like the Hakuro I know ever since we arrived. What's going on?"

"Gin," the other male said crossly. "I don't want to talk about it. Back off!"

The Akita stared at him for a moment, and then sat down defiantly.

"Hakuro," he said. "I know this is your territory, and we're your guests. But you're my friend, and something's wrong, and I'm not going **anywhere** until you talk to me."

The Husky scowled at him and Gin smirked gently.

"And don't think I'll be a pushover like he was." he said, nodding back over towards where the fight had taken place.

Hakuro smiled momentarily as well, but then his expression fell once more. After a long pause, he spoke.

"I can't protect them."

Gin frowned in confusion.

"What?" he said.

"My family," Hakuro said more forcefully, "I can't protect them! Don't you know what it's like, Gin? My pups look at me like I'm a god, like I could do anything, because they don't understand that I **can't** do anything anymore. I can't…"

His voice fell to a soft mumble.

"I see it every time I look in Kazumi's eyes." he said, his ears reversing sadly. "I'm not Hakuro "The Brown Bear Slayer" anymore. I'm not the great Hakuro who fought against Akakabuto. Now I'm just…Hakuro "The Cripple"."

He shook his head.

"I need those kids to look up to me, to see me as a male they want to be when they grow up…not as some useless has-been with a crazy laugh. I can't live with being useless."

For a long time, Gin was silent, feeling the wind still teasing at his fur. Then he sighed and moved around to Hakuro's front, forcing the Husky to look up at him as he did.

"Is one leg really all you are?" he asked.

Hakuro frowned slightly.

"What?"

"Was Hakuro "The Brown Bear Slayer" the male he was simply because of his right front leg?" Gin repeated. "Is that really the way you see it?"

"I'm not as good as I – "

"You seem to be doing just fine to me." Gin said. "You haven't lost a thing on the battlefield, you're still a great leader, and deep down you seem to be the same old Hakuro I remember. So what exactly have you lost?"

"I couldn't get to them." came the answer. "Suzaku and Byakko. I couldn't even **try** to save them."

"Neither could I." the Akita retorted. "And I've **always** been faster than you, even before your injury. Hakuro, losing your leg means nothing. You'll always be a great male. You haven't lost a thing in my eyes. In fact, you've actually gained something."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"A story to tell your kids when they grow up."

The Husky looked at him for a moment and then smiled warmly, clearly grateful for his friend's words. Gin smirked.

"Besides," he said with a snort. "You think you're the only one with problems? I live with 'em every day! Hell, Zach's practically a **monument** to them!"

Hakuro laughed loudly, regaining some of his usual fire as he did. Then he stood back up to his full height and nodded at the Ohu leader.

"I'll keep that in mind." he said amusedly. "In the meantime, what say we get the hell out of here and make it back to Smith, Chutora and the others?"

"Sounds like a plan." Gin answered with a smile and the two dogs quickly ran back to the waiting group, intending to leave immediately as soon as they had.

* * *

John grimaced, keeping his head low as he was bombarded by fierce gusts of wind, his claws digging deeply into the damp ground beneath him so he wouldn't get blown backwards. The course he and Akame had taken had led them to a series of high hills that paralleled a river canyon, one that John suspected had been cut by water streaming down from the high mountains nearby. On any other day, he would've liked looking at it, as high places always gave him a sense of superiority. Today though, in this weather, he was not grateful for its presence at all. Suddenly, as he continued to push purposefully forward, he heard a loud crack and looked up in time to see a large branch flying straight at his face. Though he had no time to react, Akame did, and the ninja dog quickly yanked him to the ground beside him, releasing him as soon as the danger was past. The Shepherd turned to him.

"Thanks." he grunted and the Kishu gave a quick nod. "This is stupid! We've gotta get away from this ledge!"

"It's the quickest route to the mountains!" Akame yelled back, struggling to make his voice be heard over the howling of the wind. "We'll have to endure it!"

"It isn't safe!" John retorted. "We're gonna get blown off the edge if this fucking wind keeps going!"

Akame shook his head, standing slowly as he did.

"Can't be helped." he said. "Otherwise we – "

Suddenly, a strong gust caught his lithe body and sent him stumbling backwards towards the edge, tossing him over it moments later with a bark of alarm. John leapt into action immediately and grabbed his friend's tail in his jaws, using all the strength he possessed to pull him backwards to safety as soon as he had. Then, as Akame looked at him in stunned surprise, John inclined his head at him, an 'I-told-you-so' look plastered on his face.

"See what I mean?" he barked and Akame turned to where they were going, an annoyed, serious frown on his muzzle.

"You're right." he conceded. "We'll head back down the slope a little before – "

Then he was interrupted again as something landed in the ground at John's feet with an almost insignificant 'THUD', making both males look down at it in surprise.

"…the hell?" John said, scowling as Akame sniffed at the object that now lay in front of him.

It was small and cylindrical and seemed to be a dart of some kind, and though John had no idea what it was, Akame apparently did.

"John," he barked urgently, "Get down!"

The Kishu threw himself at his friend instantly, the resulting collision sending the Shepherd flying back to the ground and nearly making him roll down the hill. As soon as he had landed, John looked up at his comrade angrily.

"What are you **doing**, Akame?" he barked crossly. "Have you lost your mind?"

When John's gaze fixed on his friend though, he saw immediately that something was wrong. Another of the small darts was jutting firmly out of Akame's shoulder, and the ninja-dog looked at him in silent alarm.

"John…" he said, his words slurred as he spoke. "Tranq….lizer…run…"

Then the Kishu's legs gave way beneath him and he slumped to the ground…and didn't move. John felt fear shoot through him.

"Akame!" he shouted, and another of the darts whizzed past his head.

* * *

"Got 'im!" Nobuo exclaimed victoriously, loading another dart as Masato swore under his breath beside him.

"God damn this wind!" he muttered, then looked at the other man. "Nobuo, this is impossible! Your shot was dumb luck! Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Not 'til we get those mutts!" the bearded man replied stubbornly. "Just keep shooting! Shit, he's running for it!"

* * *

John raced into action as the humans' scent finally came to his nose, and he grabbed Akame by the neck immediately, tossing his friend's limp form over his back as soon as he had. Then he turned and ran full speed towards the mountains, ignoring the debris that was pelting him from disintegrating trees as he did. The rain that came with it stung his eyes, and he struggled to see as he reached a steep incline that had suddenly popped up in front of them. Then, another dart nearly hit him squarely in the back of the head.

'Shit!' John thought desperately and leapt up onto the rocky wall in front of him, making a series of miraculous jumps and scrambling over the top as soon as he had reached it.

Once he safely on top, the Shepherd whipped his head back and forth and looked around, silently deciding which way to go as he heard his human pursuers begin scaling the incline behind him. Growling loudly in frustration, John made a split second decision and ran straight once more, feeling Akame's muscular bulk weighing him down. One way or another, he knew, he needed to lose them. Humans were not to be trifled with, and never traveled with just one gun.

'Gin,' he thought, 'Wherever you are, I hope you're doing better than we are…"

* * *

Nobuo felt his pulse race as his foot slipped again, the rain-slickened stone making for treacherous climbing as he and Matsuo struggled to pursue their wounded quarry. Finally, with one last long reach, he got his hand on the grassy top and began to hoist himself over, very pleased with himself for doing so. At least, he was pleased until he felt something slip from around his shoulder. The bearded young man grabbed desperately at the tranquilizer gun as it slipped out of his reach and plummeted back down the hillside, landing at the bottom with a 'THUD' moments later. Then, as if God were laughing at him, a strong gust of wind toppled a large tree nearby and his weapon disappeared under a sea of splintered wood and dislodged leaves. That was the last straw for Matsuo.

"Fuck this!" the other man yelled fearfully, looking up at his friend almost apologetically. "You're on your own, man!"

Then he descended quickly back down the side of the cliff, and before even waiting for an answer, sprinted back the way they'd come, ignoring Nobuo's shouts and running like he was in the Olympic finals. Nobuo could've punched somebody.

"Damn it!" he screamed, looking down at the remains of his ruined gun.

Once he had, he turned towards where the two dogs they'd been pursuing had disappeared to, their paw prints in the mud giving away their trail. An infuriated look passed over his face.

"All right then," he seethed out loud. "Fine. You wanna do this the hard way you smelly beasts? Let's go. I've got a little gift for ya."

Then the young hunter pulled out a double-barreled shotgun, which he had kept as a backup to ward off bears, and continued on his way.

* * *

Gin leapt up onto the boulder as he passed it, looking nothing short of majestic as he scanned the group that was tailing them and made sure that they were all still there. They had made good time since Hakuro's leadership fight, and were now nearly to the Hokkaido leader's secondary base, ragged and tired though they were. There had still been no sign of any of Gin's comrades, but instead of getting more worried, he was holding out hope that they had made it back on their own and were waiting patiently for him to arrive. Over to his right, Hakuro looked back at Shuji and the others with a confident glare, a far cry from more the depressed version of himself that Gin had seen only an hour or two before.

"Hurry up!" he barked. "We're almost there! Get a move on, all of you!"

"Hakuro-san!" one of Shuji's dog's complained. "This wind is getting worse! We **can't** move any faster!"

"Ah, suck it up!" the Husky snorted with a slightly mocking grin. "We're males of Hokkaido! We can handle a little breeze, right? Ha ha ha!"

Gin shook his head in silent amusement, looking around some more as he did. Suddenly, right as he was about to start moving forward again, he saw a shape run out of the trees a few hundred yards to their left, moving as though the devil himself was hot on his heels. A few strides later, he recognized him. The Akita's eyes widened.

"John!" he called in excited relief, rushing to meet his friend. "You're alive!"

Then, however, he saw what was slumped over the Shepherd's back and felt his body go numb with fear.

"Akame?" the Akita said weakly. "What happened?"

John panted, looking tired but happy to see him. Then he nodded over his shoulder.

"**They** happened." he answered.

At that moment, Gin felt something whiz by his ear with a sinister squeal and one of Shuji's packmates slumped to the ground lifeless, blood exploding out of the back of his head as he did. When Gin turned to look where it had come from, he saw a young male human walking deliberately towards them, an angry look on his face as he reloaded a large gun that was clutched in his hands. The Akita turned to Hakuro and the others quickly.

"RUN!" he shouted, and the whole group of dogs did just that, Gin and John sprinting after them as soon as they had.

As it turned out, they didn't have much further to go. Through the trees in front of them, a small clearing appeared and then ended at a steep rock face, the result of the mountain's continued ascent. At the bottom of it though were another series of caves, and standing in front of them like watchdogs, seemingly waiting for them to arrive, were two dogs that Gin recognized instantly.

"Gin!" Smith yelled delightedly as he saw them. "John! We were worried sick about you guys!"

"What took you all so long?" Chutora added, running up as well.

Gin, however, had no time to chat.

"We'll greet each other later!" he yelled, half shoving the Kai dog with his head. "Get in the cave **now**!"

The two looked confused but didn't argue, and turned to run with them as they sprinted past, another of Shuji's group dropping dead behind them.

"Get over here!" came an angry human voice from further back, and Gin didn't even turn to look as he and the others darted immediately into the nearest cave, being greeted by Kazumi as they did.

"Hakuro!" she cried happily, Genbu and Seiriyuu at her feet. "You're back!"

The husky half tackled her to the cave floor.

"Get behind me!" he growled, and joined Gin and the others as they lined up protectively near the front of the cave.

Suddenly, the human appeared in the entrance, a triumphant look on his face, and the line of dogs snarled warningly at him. He paid them no heed.

"Got ya!" he said, cocking the shotgun. "You're not getting away from me **this** time!"

Then though, the heavens spoke again. Right in front of Gin's eyes, a large black funnel suddenly descended from the sky in a flash of lightning, and touched down only a few hundred feet away, whirling like a murderous top as soon as it did. It was a tornado. Turning with all of his speed, Gin rushed to join the others as they huddled into a group at the far back of the cave, joining John and Hakuro as they tried to shield the smaller dogs with their bodies. In the cave entrance, Nobuo of Hakodate turned with a scream and tried desperately to grab onto the rocks of the cliff wall, dropping his gun as he did. The endeavor proved fruitless. Unable to get a good grip, the young human was yanked off his feet and disappeared into the deadly funnel moments later, his shotgun following suit right behind him. Gin clenched his jaws tightly, feeling the wind pulling at him viciously as he pressed his head into Smith's flank and struggled to keep his grip on the ground. After that, the minutes seemed pass like days, and it seemed like forever before the storm's onslaught started to let up. Then, as quickly as it had come, the twister disappeared, vanishing back into the sky before anyone could say a word.

Gin slowly raised his head, seeing leaves and broken branches raining down outside the cave as he did. Then he stood and walked over to the entrance, Hakuro and the others right behind him. He could immediately see that things had settled down significantly. The sky above them was clearer than before, the rain had come to an abrupt halt, and Gin wondered hopefully if the storm had finally breathed its last. Then the Akita heard a low groan behind him and turned in time to see Akame begin waking up, blinking sleep out of his eyes as Ashikaga pulled the dart out of his shoulder and helped him into a sitting position.

"Akame!" Gin said concernedly. "How are you feeling?"

The Kishu grimaced for a moment, then nodded.

"I've had better days." he said weakly. "But I'm alive apparently."

Then he glanced at John.

"Thanks to you, I'm assuming." he said with a smile. "Thank you."

John smirked.

"And you doubted me." he teased, making Akame snort amusedly as he laid his head back down, waiting for the tranquilizer's effects to wear off completely.

Suddenly, another voice came to Gin's ears. He stood up straighter. This one sounded fainter, but definitely close, and he exchanged confused glances with Chutora as he turned towards where it seemed to be coming from. Straining to listen, he perked his ears forward.

"Was that it?" the voice, which was clearly male, shouted. "That's all you got for me? That was **nothing**! You're pathetic! You give other storms a bad fucking name!"

"Don't provoke it, you lunatic." came another voice, and Gin could tell that they were getting closer. "I've had enough for one lifetime."

"Pfft!" came the first voice again. "This is what we Kais live for! You could learn a thing or two."

"Yeah, I'll bet." the second one responded sarcastically, and Gin felt a wide smile spread over his face as he trotted outside to get a better look, the others right beside him.

Sure enough, Zach and Kurotora came striding over the hill to their left a few moments later, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief that they were all right. Like them, the pair looked tired and ragged, but still in one piece, and from each of their jaws dangled a tiny form Gin recognized as Hakuro's pups Suzako and Byakko. To the Akita's right, Hakuro himself looked overjoyed that his children were still alive, and rushed to meet the pair at the same time Gin and the others did. They could see the pups squirming restlessly as they approached.

"Aww, Zach-san!" Suzaku complained, still dangling by the scruff of his neck from the Malamute's jaws. "I wanted to see it! It was cool!"

"Yeah?" the older dog replied, a weary look on his face that only babysitters wore. "Well, next time I'll toss you in and you can get a closer look. How's that?"

Gin couldn't help but laugh at this, and heard the others join in beside him as he did, the look of great relief on Hakuro's face a welcome sight to his eyes. He smiled at the two of them.

"We were worried about you two." he said concernedly. "Are you all right?"

Zach snorted, handing Suzaku to his father as Kurotora did the same with Byakko.

"Aside from a broken tail, I'm fine." he said sarcastically and Gin saw him looking accusingly at Kurotora.

The Kai dog ran his tongue over his fangs with a smirk.

"Hey," he said defensively. "It was either die in that water or grab you by the ass. I chose the lesser of two evils."

Zach shot him an annoyed look and Gin chuckled again, seeing Kazumi step up to them from behind Hakuro.

"Thank you for saving our pups!" she said gratefully, and gave each male a lick on the cheek, making them both pull back a little in surprised embarrassment.

Kurotora cleared his throat, exchanging glances with Zach as he nodded at them.

"You're a lucky male, Hakuro." he said and the Husky grinned.

"So I've been told." he replied, and then turned to Gin.

"Gin," he said. "This storm may circle back around, so if you all need to keep going forward, you may wanna cross back to the mainland today…before it does and you get stuck here."

"I agree leader." Akame said, walking slowly up behind them. "We should probably go."

Gin nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing." he said, looking at each of his comrades one by one.

Then he locked gazes with Hakuro once more.

"Let's head for the beach." he said.

* * *

The water of Hokkaido's coast was choppier than the Ohu dogs had remembered it, and as they stood there taking the sight in, the same salty odor from before assaulted their noses relentlessly, reminding them of how it had been when they first arrived. The beach itself had gotten smaller because of the storm, and Gin knew that it would take all the energy they had left to make it back to the other side. The Akita turned to Hakuro with a warm smile as the Husky trotted to a halt beside them, both of them hearing a distant clap of thunder as the storm moved away out to sea.

"Hakuro," he said. "It was an honor to see you."

The Husky shook his head emphatically.

"No, no." he replied. "The honor was all mine. As always, Gin."

This done, he nodded at each of the Ohu soldiers in turn, stopping on Zach once he reached him. Then Hakuro straightened up slightly.

"Gin was right about you." he said, as the Malamute's ears perked up. "You're an impressive male."

Then he dipped his head once more.

"Nice to have known you, Zach." he said.

For a moment, the Malamute stood there and didn't reply. Then, however, he quickly lunged forward and knocked the Husky onto his back, the latter letting out a small yelp of surprise as he landed. A few seconds later, as Gin and the others looked on in confusion, Zach stepped off of him with a grin, meeting his gaze almost playfully.

"An Ibaraki goodbye." he said. "Take it easy, Hakuro."

The Husky stood quickly, shaking sand out of his fur as he did. Then he opened his muzzle and laughed loudly, and Gin knew that that was their cue to go. Running forward purposefully, he and his friends dove into the water as fast as they could, staying together this time instead of breaking up into groups like before. Back on the beach, Hakuro shouted after them.

"I look forward to when we meet again, Gin!" the Husky yelled. "Things are always more exciting when you're around!"

"Glad we could be of help, Hakuro!" the Akita called back. "I'll definitely see you again! Be careful on that island of yours!"

"Be careful?" the Hokkaido leader whooped. "Ha! No storm can defeat Hakuro of Hokkaido! It would take an invasion, Gin! It would take an invading fucking army! Ha ha!"

Then he turned and, with one last howl of farewell, disappeared back into the trees, leaving Gin and the others to keep swimming to the other side, a feat they completed less than 20 minutes later. Once they were safely there, Gin turned to them, panting to catch his breath.

"Let's go." he said. "We've got a long walk ahead of us."

The tired group nodded at their leader respectfully and began to move off together, Zach turning cheekily to John as they did.

"So," he said. "John…Did you miss me while I was away?"

The Shepherd wrinkled his nose at him.

"Pfft!" he snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, kid."

Zach grinned as the older male increased his speed and moved up beside Akame instead, and Gin could tell that this was the answer he'd been expecting.

"That's what I thought." the Malamute said quietly and Gin was certain that only he had heard it.

Smiling to himself, the Akita sped up as well, and as he reached the front of the group he held himself a little bit higher, his stance befitting a boss dog commanding his pack.

'Here we come, Moss.' he thought, looking forward at the path ahead of them. 'Here we come.'


	10. Story 10: The Weak

**Author's Note: **Remember what I said about the last chapter being the hardest to write? Well, that award now goes to this one, which I'm astounded I actually finished. I wanted to give some character development for Akame in this chapter, and give him more of an emotional range than normal. I really hope that I succeeded, because I still can't tell if I'm satisfied with this or not. Also, I apologize ahead of time for the length of this one (It's longer than normal). I usually just keep writing until I think the story is finished decently and isn't rushed. This chapter might be polarizing, but I hope everyone likes it! Thanks and please review!

Also, thanks to nekonotaishou, Des, F-Riviera, 0553140, & Victoire for reviewing the last chapter. Thanks guys! :)

* * *

Takeo blinked sleep out of his eyes as he walked, the scent of the early morning dew filling his nostrils as he shuffled quickly down the village street. The sun was just beginning to rise over the Eastern horizon, and Nagoya's rustic buildings seemed to almost shimmer in the gleam as it did. Looking around, he could see that other pet dogs were emerging from their masters' yards as well, and he recognized every last one as they staggered out with tired yawns, stretching their stiff legs while they moved to answer the summons that had been put forth to them. The Kishu kept his pace steady, stretching his neck as he heard another dog pad up silently beside him. It was his mate, Kotone.

"What do you think Timber wants now?" she asked sleepily, her body brushing lightly against his as they continued to head towards the outskirts of town.

"God only knows." Takeo replied with a weary smile. "This is the earliest he's ever gotten us up for one of these pack gatherings of his."

"You should remind him that we're not part of his pack." she said in a mildly annoyed voice and Takeo turned back to the path.

"He likes feeling like he's in charge." he said. "And his pack **have** helped keep the peace around here since they moved in. Let him have his moment."

"I hope nothing's wrong." Kotone said, both of them ascending a hill that led out of town. "I don't remember him ever calling an 'emergency' meeting before."

"He's probably just being paranoid about something." Takeo said reassuringly, "But we'll listen anyway."

Then he gave her a curious look, as if he had just remembered something.

"Is – " he started but Kotone immediately cut him off.

"He's asleep." she said with a smile, knowing immediately what he was going to ask. "I left him back with the master. No need to wake him up this early for things he wouldn't understand anyway."

Takeo nodded with a smile, nosing at her cheek as they walked into the clearing where everyone else was already waiting for them. As they approached, another Kishu greeted them.

"Takeo." she said, nodding at them. "What's this all about?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied, then teasingly added. "I thought **you** were the one who made a habit of knowing everything that happens around here, sister."

She turned up her nose at him.

"You can't expect me to know everything, can you?" she huffed and then looked him over slowly.

Seconds later she smirked.

"Little one keeping you up again, brother?" she asked knowingly and Takeo nodded with a yawn.

"He kept wanting to hear more stories." he said with an almost proud smile. "He's more inquisitive than you were, Asami."

The female Kishu inclined her head at him.

"Stories about Ohu?" she asked and Takeo tensed up immediately, giving her a warning look.

"I don't want to have this argument right now, sister." he warned. "I'm too tired as it is."

"He deserves to know." she said and he shook his head emphatically.

"Absolutely not." he said. "And you're not to tell him either."

Asami sighed.

"Takeo…" she said with a shake of her head. "You've got to let this grudge of yours go. They both have the right to know about each other."

The male Kishu looked at her hard.

"The right?" he repeated in a quietly angry voice. "He gave up the right to know my son the minute he threw us out like we were some kind of burden to him. I'm happy here. My son is happy here. And if I can help it, that's not going to change."

Asami rolled her eyes and kept silent, knowing that it was pointless to argue with him. Takeo huffed slightly and turned away from her, allowing Kotone's gentle nuzzle to calm him down slightly.

Then Asami's voice sounded again.

"Timber! There you are! What's the idea of getting us all up so early like this?"

Turning to follow her gaze, Takeo saw the Kai mix standing by a tree a few yards away, his face bathed in shadow from the angle of the rising sun. There was no answer from him.

"Timber?" he repeated, frowning slightly, and suddenly the scent of blood assaulted his nose, its sudden appearance making his ears perk up in alarm.

Then, before he could do or say anything else, Timber suddenly toppled over where he stood, his body flopping down onto its side with a dull 'THUD' and laying motionless on the ground. Takeo froze, hearing alarmed barks erupt from the dogs around him as another figure suddenly stepped out from behind the tree Timber had been next to. The new dog was tall, he could see, very tall, and he was not alone. Takeo felt his whole body tense as other forms began to slink out of the trees as well, their movements deliberate and calculated as they quickly surrounded the group of pet dogs in a wide circle. Soon they had cut off every point of retreat. Takeo growled, stepping protectively closer to Kotone as he bore his fangs and watched the intruders warily. Then the tall one stepped forward into the light.

"Dogs of Nagoya," he said slowly in a smug-sounding voice. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm your new boss…and as of this moment, every one of you is now under my command."

The newcomer was an Irish Wolfhound, Takeo saw, and his piercing, cruel eyes seemed to cut right into them as they stood there helplessly before him. The Kishu narrowed his eyes at the larger dog.

"Who are you?" he demanded in a calm but angry voice.

Suddenly, a paw smacked him hard across the face and Takeo let out a pained grunt of surprise, his head snapping sideways as Kotone yelled his name in concern. Then a smaller, younger Wolfhound stepped forward as well.

"You speak when spoken to, bastard!" he growled and the bigger Wolfhound's grin widened.

"My name is Izanagi." he said, and then nodded sideways. "This is my son, and these are the rest of my subordinates. This is **our** territory now, and that makes you my servants."

Then he started pacing around them in a wide circle.

"Now I know you're just pet dogs," he sneered. "And as such are pathetic and useless. But that's not something I care about at the moment, so I'm going to make you a deal. You can swear your allegiance to me and live, or you can refuse me…and die horribly."

A series of low cries and moans of fear erupted from all around the group, and Takeo stepped forward once more, ready to dodge an attack if he needed to.

"This territory belongs to the humans." he growled. "Our masters. So unless you can defeat them and their guns, coming here was pointless. If you harm us in any way, they **will** hunt you down. I suggest you leave while you can."

Izanagi turned to him with an angry but somehow knowing look, as if he had been expecting this and was waiting for it to happen. He immediately started to move forward towards the Kishu, his fangs gleaming in the light as he opened his huge maw…and stopped in his tracks. The younger Wolfhound looked at him, seemingly ready to attack as well.

"Dad?" he said, looking confused. "Should I kill him?"

The huge male didn't answer, and looked hard into Takeo's face with a strange expression, one that seemed to suggest he had seen something unexpected and was trying to figure out what to do about it. For his part, the Kishu didn't move an inch, and when Izanagi straightened up once more and opened his mouth to speak, Takeo simply followed him with his gaze. Then the Wolfhound began to laugh, a low, creepy sounding noise that slid out of his throat and attacked the dogs' ears like a poison. He glared triumphantly down at Takeo.

"Well I'll be damned…" he said almost softly. "Look who we have here."

Takeo frowned, his danger senses screaming at him.

"You look just like him." Izanagi breathed.

The Kishu froze on the spot, his breath catching in his throat.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"You have his face." Izanagi said, licking his fangs. "And his figure. Oh this is too good to be true."

Takeo clutched the ground beneath him tightly with his claws.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he said flatly, praying that the Wolfhound didn't know what he suspected he did.

Izanagi grinned lethally and began walking around him again.

"Don't you?" he said, a deep, poisonous note in his voice that chilled Takeo to the bone. "Well, I suppose after lying to your friends here for so long, it's only natural you'd keep it up. They must think you're just like them, unremarkable, unimportant… But we know better, don't we?"

Takeo felt a hot rush of fury shoot through him and Kotome met his gaze concernedly.

"Takeo," she said. "What is he talking about?"

Izanagi walked over to her before the Kishu could answer, the Wolfhound's cruel eyes meeting his.

"Change of plan, boy." he said, towering over the much smaller female. "In return for not annihilating all of you, you're going to go find him – and don't pretend you don't know who I mean – and bring him to me."

Takeo glared at him defiantly, realizing that it was pointless to lie.

"I barely knew him." he spat. "He's not part of my life anymore. I don't even know where he is."

Izanagi stalked right up to him and got in his face.

"Try Kaisume Dake." he whispered with a smirk. "Rumor has it he and his pack were sighted just north of there recently. Oh, and when you find him, tell him…if he wants to save you all, he'll come home to fight me, one on one, to the death. He knows why. If he isn't there in two days, I'll kill you all, starting with your sister here."

Asami took a nervous step away from them upon hearing this, and Takeo silently swore to himself, wondering when Izanagi had realized who she was. He shook his head slowly.

"You're out of your mind." he said.

"Am I?" the Wolfhound replied. "Well in that case, let me give you further incentive."

Then, without warning or hesitation, he spun around, grabbed Kotone by the throat, and ripped it clean out, an explosion of blood following in his wake. Takeo felt his stomach fall to his feet.

"NO!" he screamed in horror and launched himself at the huge dog…a move that got him nowhere.

The moment his feet left the ground, he was grabbed hard from all sides and shoved face-first into the dirt, thrashing and shouting at the Wolfhound as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You bastard!" he screamed. "You fucking bastard! I'll kill you!"

Izanagi rushed forward, covering the distance in only a few strides, and drove his shoulder hard into the smaller dog's chin, sending him flying backwards with a grunt of pain. Then, once he'd come to a stop, the Wolfhound stood over him and leaned in closely, stomping down on the Kishu's throat to immobilize him.

"Listen up, you piece of shit." he said in a deadly voice. "You deliver that message or I'll kill your sister, your friends, and anyone else I find. **Am I clear**?"

Takeo growled at up at him, tears still trickling from his eyes. Over by Asami and the others, Izanagi's subordinates stood at the ready, looking eager for bloodshed. The Kishu ceased his fighting. He had no choice. There was only one option.

"All right." he said in a soft, hate-filled voice. "I'll find him, you monster. I'll find him…"

* * *

Akame grimaced, feeling the same throbbing pain ripple through his shoulder again as he put weight down on the leg it was attached to. It was growing more constant now, he could tell, and even though his long, light-footed strides allowed him to keep up easily with Gin and the others, he was secretly getting worried.

'Something must be wrong.' he thought in anxious annoyance. 'That puncture should've healed by now.'

Despite this, they were making good time, and were already within a mile of the Gunma Prefecture, home to Kaisume Dake and its boss dog, Moss. It had been over 5 days since the group had arrived back on Japan's mainland, and as before they were in relatively high spirits. After stopping off in Ohu to give orders and make sure things were still intact, Gin had kept them moving at an almost constant pace down to Moss's territory, which was one of the few that Akame himself had never seen before. The prospect of seeing their old friend again in his home had stirred excitement and intrigue in the ninja-dog, but that sensation had left him quickly after a new one had made itself known. Pain…

A mere 2 days into their journey back from Hokkaido, Akame had begun to notice a tenderness in his shoulder where the human's tranquillizer dart had hit him, and it had gotten steadily worse by the day. Though he had initially shrugged it off as overexertion, in time it became impossible to ignore. On the third day, while breaking up a three-way wrestling match between Zach and the Kais, the tenderness had transformed into a sharp pain, and that had made him take immediate notice. Though he was concerned about the possibility of infection, he decided to keep the injury to himself so as not to slow them down, a decision he was becoming increasingly convinced had been wrong. Thus far, Gin had been the only one to notice his slight limp, and had confronted him immediately to see if everything was all right. Though he was grateful for his friend's concern, Akame had waved him off with a reassuring smile, insisting that they continue at the same pace until they reached their destination. Now that they were nearly there, the Kishu could safely say that he was looking forward to getting off his feet for a while and resting his weary legs. Suddenly, he heard a popping noise and perked his ears up, looking towards its source as soon as he had. Striding alongside him was Kurotora, a contented look on his face, and the dark-furred Kai Dog cracked his neck once more as he looked up at Gin and John, who were leading the group.

"Did Moss say he was gonna meet us?" he asked, sliding his tongue over his fangs. "Or are we gonna have to go look for him?"

"Probably the latter." John snorted. "He's a pack leader and he weighs half a ton. If he has any sense at all, he just kicks back in his home base and relaxes in between fights."

Chutora nodded from Smith's side, looking around him at the scenery passing by.

"That does sounds like Pops." he said and Smith gave him a look.

"You **still** call him 'Pops'?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

The Kai Dog shrugged.

"Hey," he said. "Old habits die hard. Besides, he doesn't care."

"Give him some time," the Spaniel said, rubbing himself up against a tree to scratch an itch. "He will. You Kais'll probably piss him off with one of your insensitive little remarks and then he'll get mad and sit on you."

Chutora seemed to shudder beside him.

"Oof." he said, wrinkling his nose. "Now **there's** an ugly thought."

"You guys might want to cool it on the insults pretty soon." Gin said over his shoulder from up front. "We're almost there.

Kurotora snorted, dropping back beside Zach as he did.

"Ah, let 'em go, Gin!" he smirked. "We're supposed to be having fun on this trip anyway, right? Besides, if we arrive in good spirits maybe we'll meet some girls for a change! And by 'we' of course, I mean those of you who don't have one already."

He gave Zach a light shove with his paw and the Malamute snapped out of his thoughts instantly, smiling moments later with a shake of his head.

"Keep it up, Kuro." he threatened in a calm voice. "I'm perfectly willing to start our little sparring match up again."

"Yeah?" the Kai Dog said, his grin widening. "How's your jaw?"

"Fine thanks." Zach said in a fake polite voice. "How are your balls?"

"Bigger than yours, cheap shot."

Akame chuckled and shook his head, hearing the others laugh as well as he looked at the wilderness around him in curiosity. As implied by its name, Kaisume Dake was a mountainous area, and steep cliffs separated groves of trees all around them as they walked, their tops sometimes shrouded in mist and hidden from view. All in all, the Kishu decided, it was nice territory, and he looked forward to complimenting Moss on it. Then the group rounded a corner and came to a large rocky slope, its top punctuated by 6 dead trees all standing in a row, a perfect position for getting a vantage point. Standing near them, looking down at the Ohu Army with cautious frowns, were two large dogs that Akame assumed were guards. Seconds later, this was confirmed when one of them turned and called to someone out of sight:

"Boss!"

"What?" a deep voice replied.

"Gin and his comrades are here!" the dog replied and the deep voice answered him again, this time sounding surprised and excited.

"Already?" it said. "I thought I still had two days!"

Moments later, another much larger dog appeared at the top of the slope, and its eyes immediately widened happily as it saw them.

"Gin!" it called. "It's been too long! I was just complaining about how much I missed you lot!"

"Hello, Moss." the Akita smiled pleasantly as both dogs rushed to greet each other. "You're looking well!"

The Kaisume Dake leader, who was an enormous blob of a Mastiff with scars decorating his body, grinned toothily, looking at the others as well as his tail wagged behind him.

"I'm surprised so many of you came." he said as another, smaller Mastiff padded up beside him. "I thought you would have your paws full with that paradise of yours!"

"It's being cared for." Gin replied. "We decided that it was high time to visit old friends."

"Rank has its privileges." John added with a smirk and Moss nodded, shifting his weight as he did.

"Indeed it does." he agreed with a chuckle. "Well, it's good to see you. Things have been too peaceful around here. Jaguar and I have been feeling almost forgotten about."

"We should trade lives, Pops." Kurotora quipped, moving up beside Gin. "We've had nothing **but** excitement since we left Gajou!"

"I wish I'd been there." Moss grunted, wrinkling his drooping face in irritation. "And don't call me 'Pops'."

Smith smirked from where he stood.

"Told ya." he said and Chutora gave a little growl at him.

Jaguar, however, had just finished scanning the group from his father's side, and stepped forward with a look of surprise.

"Zach?" he said in his gravelly voice. "Is that you?"

Akame's ears perked up in curiosity and he looked over at the Malamute, who nodded back at the Mastiff with a smile.

"Hello, Jaguar." he said. "It's good to see you again."

The younger Mastiff pulled back a little with a small smile of his own. Then he looked over at Moss.

"Father," he said. "Look who's back."

Moss turned and followed his gaze to where Zach stood, a similar look of surprise passing over his face moments later.

"Zach of Ibaraki!" he exclaimed. "Riley's pup? What are **you** doing here? I haven't seen you since you were the size of my paw!"

The Ohu dogs looked back and forth between their friends.

"Wait." John said, raising an eyebrow. "You **know** each other?"

Both males nodded in affirmation.

"My uncle and Moss-san used to be allies." Zach explained, looking at Gin. "My father and I would travel with him sometimes when he'd visit Kaisume Dake."

"That was a long time ago, though." Jaguar said, and then turned back to Zach. "What are you doing with the Ohu Army?"

"Becoming stronger." the Malamute said after a pause. "And having some…interesting experiences along the way."

"Well," Moss replied, looking him up and down as he examined him. "You seem to have grown up nicely, boy. I think I preferred you as a pup, though."

Zach grunted in surprise and Jaguar rolled his eyes over Smith and Kurotora's laughs.

"Father," he said with a deadpan look. "You prefer **everyone** as a pup."

"Hmph." the elder Mastiff snorted. "That's beside the point."

Then he gestured to Gin and the others, indicating that the conversation was over.

"Come on." he said. "I want to hear about everything I've missed."

Gin nodded and glanced at John, who did the same with a small smile. Then the Ohu group followed their friend up the rocky slope and out of sight of the path.

* * *

Gin opened his eyes slowly as the early morning light hit them, the beams just intense enough to wake him from his slumber. Giving a wide yawn, he stood and stretched his stiff form, avoiding waking the others as he did. They had spent the remainder of the previous day reminiscing with Moss about the war against Akakabuto and telling him about what had happened to them since they had last seen him. The Kaisume Dake leader apparently spent much of the time in between fixing up his own territory, using Gin and Riki's examples to transform his mountainous home into a safer and more pleasant place. Now that he saw it for himself, Gin had to admit that it was much nicer than before. The last time he had been to Kaisume Dake was when they were trying to recruit Moss for the Ohu army, and it had nearly resulted in the death of Ben at the Mastiff's hands. Granted, everything had turned out all right in the end, but still, this place brought back a lot of memories. It reminded him of Sniper, his sworn enemy, who had been behind all the trouble last time and had disappeared shortly before the final battle against Akakabuto. Gin felt hatred rise in his throat like bile and quickly forced it back. Sniper was gone, presumed drowned while attempting to kill Ben, and there was no point in thinking about him any longer. Besides, it wasn't like he would ever see him again.

'Good riddance.' Gin thought brutally. 'He deserved everything he got. But the dead should stay in the past. I need to look to the future.'

Suddenly, right as he was finishing this thought, a strange noise came to the Akita's ears. Frowning in confusion, he looked over towards it where it had come from, wondering silently what it had been. The others were still asleep where they lay, and he stepped around them carefully as he looked for anything out of the ordinary. Moments later, he saw what was causing it, and his face twisted into a look of great concern. Akame lay near John and Chutora, still apparently sleeping, but shivering and trembling within it as if he were freezing to death in the cave where they were. Gin rushed towards him quickly. It wasn't **that** cold out. As he moved up beside his friend though, he accidentally stepped on Kurotora's tail, causing the Kai dog to sputter to life instantly with a grunt of surprise.

"What the – ?" he said sleepily. "Who the hell?"

"Sorry, Kuro." Gin apologized and leaned down to examine Akame.

"What's going on?"

"Wake the others." the Akita ordered urgently. "Something's wrong with Akame."

This made the younger Kai shoot to attention immediately and he quickly did what he was told, shaking the others out of their slumbers one by one until everyone was awake and confused.

"What's going on, Gin?" Smith asked drowsily. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Gin answered and then shook Akame with his paw. "Akame! Akame, wake up!"

The Kishu's eyes immediately shot open in the dim light of the cave and he let out a gasp that sounded halfway between surprise and pain, one that caused Gin to pull back a little.

"Akame," he said worriedly. "Are you all right?"

The ninja-dog lifted his head to glance up at him, but then rested it on the ground tiredly.

"Gin…" he said softly. "No… My shoulder…is killing me."

Gin frowned slightly and examined his friend's shoulder, his concern growing when he realized that it looked swollen. He quickly gestured to Zach.

"Zach," he said. "Come look at this. You're the one he trained for this kind of thing."

The Malamute immediately stepped over to him and bent down to look at it, giving it a few testing sniffs moments later. Then he looked up at the Ohu leader and nodded.

"It's infected." he announced. "Badly. It looks like he has a fever on top of it."

"The dart that hit me was probably rusty…" Akame agreed quietly. "I suspected this before but…it moved faster than I thought it would."

"Why didn't you say something?" John demanded almost accusingly and the Kishu gave him an almost amused look.

"I didn't know how bad it was." he replied. "And I didn't want to slow you down. I foolishly thought I could just wait it out…"

After noticing the looks they were giving him, he added.

"Hey, even **I** make mistakes. Zach, how bad does it look to you?"

The younger dog tilted his head slightly.

"Bad enough." he said. "I definitely don't have the knowledge to fix something like this."

"Moss," Gin said, looking at the Mastiff. "Do you have anything around here that could treat this?"

The Kaisume Dake leader shook his huge head.

"Not that I know of." he said. "I wouldn't even know what to look for."

"I do." Akame said, sitting up slowly as he did. "In the Iga territory, there's an ivy that we used to use to treat wounds during the war against Koga. We used to call it 'The Healing Vine'. It should help with this."

Kurotora stepped up to them, looking determined.

"What does it look like?" he asked. "Chutora and I will go get it."  
Akame opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a new voice cut him off from outside the cave.

"Boss!"

"What is it?" Moss asked, glancing over his shoulder at its source.

"There's a traveller outside who wants to talk to you," the voice said, and one of the Mastiff's guards walked up to them.

"Tell him not now."

"He says it's urgent, sir." the guard responded. "Life or death."

Moss grunted irritatedly and stood, turning to follow him as soon as he had.

"Fine." he said. "Let's hear what he has to say."

Gin and the others followed him quickly, Akame being helped by Chutora as they did. As soon as they emerged out into the light, they saw another of Moss's guards standing beside a young male Kishu, his tan fur glistening in the sun as he shifted his weight impatiently. Moss walked up to him as soon as he noticed his presence.

"What can I do for you young one?" he asked, and the Kishu's head swiveled his way.

Standing up straighter, he opened his mouth to speak…and promptly closed it again. Then his eyes widened and Gin could see that he was looking past Moss to someone standing behind him. The Akita pulled up a little in surprise. The newcomer's face was very reminiscent of one of their own, and it was him the young Kishu fixed his angry gaze on, ignoring everyone else around him as if they weren't even there. Then Gin heard Akame let out a gasp, and soon everyone there was looking back and forth between the two in confusion. For his part, Akame looked as though he'd seen a ghost, and almost seemed to pale beneath his white fur as his eyes went wider than Gin had ever seen them go.

"T-Takeo…?" the ninja-dog stammered, clearly shocked. "You…"

The young Kishu didn't answer. Instead, before anyone had time to react, he bolted forward with blinding speed and head-butted Akame directly in the face, sending the older Kishu flying backwards into a tree before the stunned Chutora could stop him. Then, to Gin's horror, he grabbed Akame by the throat and began smashing his head into the tree repeatedly, tears streaming down his face as he did.

"You bastard!" he screamed. "You fucking bastard! I oughta kill you right now!"

Gin rushed forward at the same time everyone else did, both he and Moss pulling the younger male off the bleeding Akame by force. The dog named Takeo didn't stop for a moment.

"My mate is dead!" he shouted, still being forcibly restrained as Akame got slowly to his feet in shock. "She's **dead** because of you! I hope you're happy, you son of a bitch!"

"Takeo…" Akame said softly, sounding very shaky. "I…I…"

"What?" Takeo spat. "You're sorry? You know, it was bad enough you abandoned us and made a new life for yourself! But now **I** have to pay for your goddamn sins, and you have the gall to stand there like nothing's wrong? Fuck you, Dad!"

Everyone stopped dead. Gin was so startled by what he'd heard that his grip momentarily loosened in shock, and Takeo managed to twist himself free, panting from the effort moments later. After that, for a long while, the whole clearing was silent, with only the sound of the morning breeze breaking the calm. Finally, Smith was the first one to recover his voice.

"D-Dad?" he stammered, clearly stunned. "Akame, this guy's your…"

There was a momentary pause, but then Akame nodded slowly.

"…Yes." he replied, his voice wavering as he looked at Takeo. "He's my son."

Then there was another long pause, and eventually Moss cleared his throat.

"I um…" he said, seemingly trying to find the right words. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I won't tolerate unprovoked attacks in my territory, youngster. Speak your peace or leave."

Takeo stood up straighter, nodding at the larger male as soon as he had.

"My territory," he explained angrily. "My village, was invaded by an enemy pack yesterday. They've already killed a local boss dog and my mate Kotone, and are threatening to slaughter everyone else if their leader's demands aren't met."

"Who's their leader?" Gin demanded, looking at him seriously.

"He said his name was 'Izanagi'." Takeo replied, meeting his gaze momentarily before looking back at Akame. "He's a Wolfhound. He wants **you** to "Come home" to fight him, one on one, to the death. He said you'd know why. He also said that if you weren't there in two days time, then he'd start killing people…starting with Asami. You remember her, right?"

Akame nodded, but didn't say a word. Takeo took a step towards him, not acknowledging John and Zach as they stepped in front of him to block his way.

"I don't care about your battles," he said in a quiet hate-filled voice. "I don't care about your wars, and I don't care about you. All I care about is keeping the family that I have left safe. So whatever this is, you deal with it…and then I don't ever want to see you again. You're not my father…and I'm not your son."

Then he turned and walked away, allowing Jaguar to lead him into the cave they'd slept in as Gin and the others remained where they were, glancing at each other uncomfortably as they waited for him to be gone. As soon as he was out of earshot and everything was quiet once more, Moss looked at Gin.

"I'll be sending some of my males out on patrol." he said. "When you all are ready to talk about this, come get me."

The Akita nodded without a word and kept his gaze fixed on Akame, listening as the Mastiff plodded away behind him. The ninja-dog had turned his back to them and seemed to be trembling slightly as he sat with his head lowered, facing the trees away from the cave. Sighing deeply, Gin walked up slowly behind him, arriving at the same time John and Zach did. Seeing him approach, the two males exchanged a glance and then nodded to him before backing off, allowing their leader to deal with the situation instead. Gin was silently grateful for this, but didn't acknowledge them as he sat beside Akame instead, resting a paw comfortingly on his friend's shoulder.

"Akame…" he said slowly. "I…"

"I know, Gin." the Kishu answered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I know. Thank you."

Gin nodded, understanding that he wanted to be alone.

"If you need anything." he said softly. "I'm here. We all are."

Akame didn't respond, and seemed to be trying to regain control of his emotions as Gin turned and headed back to the others, waiting patiently for when everyone was ready to talk about their sudden new problem.

* * *

Izanagi rolled his broad shoulders, grinning lethally as he gazed upon the dilapidated ruins of the Iga household. The once grand structure was now nothing more than a few charred beams laying on a foundation of stone, the result of the flames that gutted it and the passage of time. The Wolfhound walked slowly sideways, careful to watch for any forgotten traps that might still be lying in wait.

'How unfortunate.' he thought with sarcastic glee. 'And it was such a nice house too.'

He could almost see the images in his mind of the day long ago when he'd visited this place before, and the more they flooded his subconscious, the more angry he got. Why had he been so hung up on getting territory, he wondered? Why hadn't he thought of revenge in the first place?

'Well, the ball is in motion now.' he thought. 'Maybe I just needed a little kickstart to get it rolling. Seeing Akame's brat certainly did the trick.'

Suddenly, he heard the sound of leaves crunching under someone's paw, and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see his son walk up.

"Dad." the younger Wolfhound said. "Chase is ready. He and the others are all set to move on Nagoya if needed."

"Good." Izanagi smiled, licking his fangs. "I expect they'll be getting the orders to do so quite soon."

"You really think Akame'll go for this?"

"His children are in danger." the elder Wolfhound said almost matter-of-factly. "Parents fight when their children are in danger."

The younger Wolfhound cocked his head slightly.

"W-Would you fight for me, Dad?" he asked, his normally confident voice slightly hesitant.

Izanagi snorted and bared his teeth at him.

"Don't be selfish!" he snapped. "The only person in this world that matters is yourself, boy! No real male fights to help others…he fights to help himself!"

He turned and looked back at the Iga ruins.

"That's why our pack is getting more powerful by the day," he added, not taking his hungry eyes off of it. "Because all of these other charlatans don't realize that. Remember that, boy, and you'll always get what you want…what you deserve. Now go patrol the borders! I want some warning before he comes!"

The younger Wolfhound bowed immediately and ran off, seemingly eager to do what his father wanted. As soon as he had left, another Wolfhound emerged from the trees on the other side. This one, however, was female.

"Izanagi." she said and the large male did a double take.

"Shika!" he snapped immediately. "What the hell are **you** doing here? I told you to stay back in Nagoya with Chase and the others!"

"Iza," she said, paying his words no heed. "We have to stop this! Don't we have enough territory already?"

"Stop?" the Wolfhound repeated, sounding as though the concept had never occurred to him. "This is about **revenge** you stupid bitch! Why the hell would I stop?"

"Because of our son!" Shika said, slinking up to him with a pleading look on her face. "Iza, he's getting more violent by the day! I'm worried about him. I just want to settle down somewhere and live as a family instead of going to all these places just to fight!"

"Pfft! He's becoming a real male! Don't talk about what you don't understand!"

"You have no right to – "

Before she could even finish the sentence, Izanagi suddenly whirled around and head-butted her to the ground hard, clamping his jaws around her throat seconds later with a growl. Then he glared into her eyes.

"Don't you **ever**," he threatened. "Tell me what I can't do! You females are too soft. You understand nothing about war and what it means to be a male. The battlefield is no place for you, so go back to Nagoya right now or I'll grab you by the tail and drag you there! Go!"

Then he leapt off and gave her a kick with his hind legs towards the trees, showing no emotion at all when she rolled to a stop and glared up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Iza, please…"

"Don't make me say it again, Shika."

The female Wolfhound gave a shaky sigh, a sad note resonating in it down to its core. Then she turned and walked quietly away, tears sliding down her furred cheeks as she left Izanagi to himself. For his part, the large male didn't even turn to watch her go. Instead, his eyes were still on the ruins of the Iga house, a constant reminder of the bloody fight that was to come. Izanagi licked his fangs.

"Your move, Akame." he thought viciously. "Your move…"

* * *

Akame sighed deeply as he approached the cave where the pack meeting was to take place. He knew that his friends were undoubtedly waiting for him inside, but so too would be Takeo, and the ninja-dog wasn't sure he could bear facing his son again. His son… Even the words sounded foreign to him and every time he looked at the other Kishu, it felt to him like he was staring at his past self, at a life that he could've had but gave up for honor and duty. When he had given Takeo and his other children away so long ago, he had honestly never expected to see them again, believing wholeheartedly that it was for the best. Now there was a stranger with his face and his blood sitting in the cave in front of him, loathing him with every fiber of his being…and Akame had no idea how it had happened. The whole situation was really starting to fray his nerves.

He took another deep breath, trying to ignore the constant pain in his still infected shoulder, and continued forward into the cave, treading lightly until he came to where he needed to be. As expected, Gin and the others were scattered around the room waiting for him, most of them deep in conversation with each other or Moss's group. As soon as Akame made his appearance, however, they all looked up. Seeing his friend approach, Gin stood quickly and gestured for everyone there to circle up, an action they all took immediately. Once they were all facing one another, Gin bowed his head slightly from his position between Moss and John.

"Akame," he said, sounding more formal than the Kishu had expected. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." the ninja-dog said with a nod, surprised at the strength in his own voice. "I don't think there's much you can learn from me, though."

"Why?" Chutora inquired, cocking his head to the side. "Do you not know this Izanagi bastard?"

Akame glanced at him.

"Apparently I must." he said. "He certainly knows me. The trouble is, I don't remember ever knowing an "Izanagi" at all."

Takeo sat forward almost indignantly.

"You don't remember?" he sputtered. "How the hell – "

Smith cut him off with a curt bark.

"Hey!" he snapped, and then glared at the younger Kishu when he met his gaze. "Enough."  
Akame reversed his ears slightly.

"It's okay, Smith." he said, then looked back at Gin and Moss. "I think that the 'home' he's referring to must mean the Iga territory. If he knows about my children, then he had to have met me back during the ninja war. That's the only explanation that makes sense."

"Or he just knows you really well from following what you've done over the years." Zach said from where he was, then gestured at Takeo. "I mean…he looks remarkably like you, Akame. Anyone with eyes who's met you before could see that the two of you are related somehow."

"No." the Kishu replied. "My instincts tell me this is about the war, or at least something having to do with it."

"Who cares what it's about?" Kurotora scoffed. "Let's just go to Iga and kill this son of a bitch! Rid ourselves of this mess once and for all!"

"No." Akame repeated and almost everyone looked at him in surprise.

"No?" John said, frowning slightly. "You're just gonna let this go?"

"Of course not." the ninja-dog said, his voice still calm. "But the only one going to Iga is me."

There was an outbreak of simultaneous gasps and Chutora stepped forward.

"Akame," he said incredulously. "You're not seriously going to accept this guy's challenge are you?"

"I need you all to go to Nagoya." the Kishu insisted. "That's where my children are, and that's probably where most of Izanagi's pack will be. I need you all there to help protect them."

"Leaving you to walk into certain death in Iga." Zach said with a stunned frown. "How can you ask us to do something like that?"

"I won't die."

"In **that** condition?" the Malamute insisted. "Yes you will."

Akame winced in pain as another wave of hurt rippled through his shoulder. This time though, it lingered a while longer. He grimaced, trying mightily to ignore it.

"This challenge was issued to me." he said with a tone of finality. "And this dog is threatening my children. I'm going to fight him and that's the end of it."

"Then someone should go with you, Akame." Gin said, siding with Zach. "I know you feel it's your responsibility, and any other time I would trust you without question. But with that infected wound – "

"Gin," Akame said louder than he intended. "Trust me, please. I need to do this alone."

"Sir," Zach said, jumping back in before the Akita could respond. "With all due respect, this is stupid. It's obviously a trap, and there's no way in hell you can take on multiple dogs alone like that. You can barely walk."

Akame opened his mouth exasperatedly to respond, but pain shot through him again and he winced even deeper.

"Zach," he said irritatedly. "This has nothing to do with you. Be quiet and stay out of it!"

"The hell it doesn't." the Malamute said. "As your subordinate it's one of my duties to help protect you. And you won't be able to protect **anyone** if your busy getting ripped apart."

Akame glared angrily at him, having had enough of both the pain and the arguing.

"Just because **you** couldn't protect your family doesn't mean I can't protect mine!" he spat before he could stop himself. "Back off!"

The minute the words left his mouth, Akame wished he could take them back. The whole cave had gone dead silent, and each of the Kishu's friends was staring at him in shock, all of them looking staggered that the words had come from him. Startled that he had lost control like that, Akame looked up to meet Zach's eyes, and immediately felt a rush of guilt shoot through him. The Malamute hadn't moved from where he'd been standing, and the expression on his face reminded Akame of how a pup looked after being struck by a parent for the first time. Moments later, Zach broke their mutual gaze and turned away from him, clenching his jaw tightly as he did.

"Fine." he said in a voice that dripped with anger and hurt. "You wanna get yourself killed, be my fucking guest."

Then, ignoring the protests of Gin and Moss, he padded away out the cave entrance, not looking at Akame once as he did.

"Zach, I…" the Kishu tried to say, but he was gone, and Akame bit his tongue to stop himself and organize his thoughts.

Then he turned back to Gin, Moss, and John.

"Leader," he said softly. "Please. I'm asking you as a friend. Let me handle this."

Gin didn't reply for a moment, still apparently shocked at the incident moments before. Then he nodded.

"All right." he said and then turned to the others as Akame inclined his head in grateful thanks. "We're gonna need to split up to cover more ground. Smith."

The Spaniel perked up at the mention of his name.

"I want you to go to Iga with Akame." Gin said. "Not to help him, but to find the plant that grows there that can cure his infection. You have the best nose here and you're the best tracker. If anyone can find it, you can."

"Consider it done, Gin!" Smith said with an emphatic nod.

Then the Akita turned to the two dogs sitting on either side of him.

"John," he said. "Moss. The rest of us will be going to Nagoya to deal with Izanagi's pack and the dogs they're holding hostage. Moss, can you spare any of your males to help?"

"Of course." the Mastiff said. "We're not just gonna sit back while this goes on. This old demon feels the need to bite something again!"

"Well said!" John replied with an approving smirk and Gin looked over at the Kais.

"I know you two are ready." he said and they both nodded in unison.

"Always." Kurotora said with a smile of his own and Gin nodded in satisfaction.

"All right." he said. "Zach will come with us too when he…calms down a little. So will you, Takeo."

The younger Kishu nodded wordlessly, seeming calmer than before somehow. Gin continued immediately.

"Everybody make preparations to go." he said. "We move out in 2 hours."

The group all broke the circle at that, heading in different directions once they had and moving at different paces, all of them having tasks of their own to perform. Gin immediately walked up to Akame, looking at his friend with a mixture of concern and suspicion. The Kishu knew instantly what he was going to say.

"I know you're going through a lot," Gin said softly. "And I know that you know your one of my closest friends. But if I were you, I'd apologize to Zach at some point. The last thing I want right now is two of my friends hating each other."

Akame bowed his head solemnly.

"Yes, leader." he said obediently, though the words the Akita had spoken had crossed his mind before.

Gin returned the nod, concern still on his features, and then walked off after John, intending perhaps to go over battle plans with the Shepherd for the upcoming fight in Nagoya. For his part, Akame turned and began limping slowly away from the cave, heading for the apex of 6-tree ridge. Though it took him a little longer than normal to get there, by the time he had it was devoid of life, and the ninja-dog was grateful for the solitude. He sat down on a boulder in front of the middle tree, looking over the landscape silently as he tried to collect his thoughts and send his turbulent emotions back down to the cage in his heart where he was used to keeping them locked away, under control. Not that he had succeeded much in that regard over the last 24 hours.

'I need to concentrate more on the tasks at hand.' he thought bitterly. 'My old Chourou would bite me 'til I bled if he saw how much I've neglected my training today.'

Then, right as the thought left his mind, Akame heard a twig snap behind him and glanced quickly over his shoulder to see what had caused it. Expecting to see Gin or John, he was surprised to see Moss standing there looking at him, a look on the Mastiff's face that was more curious than concerned. Strangely enough, Akame found himself pleased by this, and allowed the Kaisume Dake leader to sit down beside him moments later, a firm sounding 'THUMP' echoing off the rocks as his great girth came to rest on the ground beneath them. Akame kept his gaze forward. It was just past midday, he saw, and his friend's territory was far too beautiful for them to be dealing with something like this. Still though, that was the burden of a leader. Moss's head swiveled to look at him.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked and Akame glanced at him.

"Painful." he replied, and turned his gaze forward again. "But thank you for asking."

"It's a pity all this happened so quickly." Moss said, stretching his neck slightly. "I wanted to ask you how Chibi and the others back in Ohu are doing, but…obviously other things came up."

Akame gave the tiniest of smirks.

"He's doing well." he said, grateful to talk about something else even though he knew where the conversation would inevitably lead. "But he's not 'Chibi' anymore. Goes by 'Tesshin' now."

Moss raised an eyebrow.

"'Tesshin'?" he repeated, sounding as if he were silently trying to contemplate the word's meaning. "Hmm…I like it. He'll always be 'Chibi' to me though."

Akame chuckled quietly.

"I thought so." he said, then shook his head as his smile faded. "He's so different from his father it's astonishing. It astounds me every time I look at him. The son of my enemy might actually be a great male one day."

"Because of you." Moss said, and Akame looked at him. "Because you were noble enough to take him in when his father went and offed himself."

"We all had a hand in that," Akame said dismissively. "Not just me. Besides, I'm starting to question my decisions as a father lately."

"Akame," Moss began in his deep voice. "I – "

"I really thought sending them away was the right thing to do." the Kishu said, cutting him off. "That war was no place for them. It was bad enough Hayato and his brothers had to fight in it; I didn't want my children living through it as well."  
"I thought you were the one who said that it was your duty as Igas to defend your house from Kurojaki." Moss frowned.

"I did." Akame replied. "And it was. But I didn't want them to **be** Igas."

When Moss looked surprised and confused, he added:

"All of my comrades, all of my fellow ninja-dogs, were highly trained and capable…and yet they still died. Young. Every last one of them. Before that, I watched them change. Every battle they fought, every kill they made, they'd come back to me different. Emptier somehow… You know as well as I do that war changes people. All it takes is one thing horrifying enough and they'll never be the same again, no matter how dedicated they are…or who trained them. I wanted Takeo to have a better life than that."

"He has." the Mastiff said simply. "What happened to his mate wasn't your fault."

"You don't know that." Akame shot back. "And if it is, I failed them. I've had enough of failing people. I need to fix the damage that's been done."

"Is that why you took in Zach?" Moss asked almost pointedly. "To fix his damage?"

Akame frowned at him.

"Zach?" he said stiffly. "He has nothing to do with this."

"Come on, Akame." Moss smirked, looking forward away from him. "I may be old and fat, but I'm not stupid. I knew that kid when he was just a pup. I also know what he turned into after the war that **his** pack had, the one where his mother died. The minute I saw the two of you interact in there, I knew that you must've been the one who had defeated him, who had convinced him to come with all of you. I think I know why now."

Akame didn't answer, waiting uncomfortably for him to finish. Moments later, Moss did just that.

"Because he was what your kids could've become if they'd stayed with you." he said quietly. "At least in your eyes."

Akame was silent for a long time. Then he nodded slowly.

"Yes…" he murmured. "That's the way I saw him. Gin is like the son I could've had if there was peace…and Zach's the one I would've had if there was war. And there was war in Iga, Moss."

The Kaisume Dake leader sighed deeply. Then he turned and faced his friend completely.

"Akame," he said. "You're a much wiser dog than me, but can I give you some advice?"

"I'd welcome it about now." the ninja-dog replied and Moss met his gaze once more, concern finally in his eyes.

"Don't focus so much on your regrets." he said. "Despite all this, you're still a great male, and you've done great things. You helped make Gin the leader he is, you helped bring down Akakabuto, and you helped save Zach from himself. Every one of those dogs trusts you with their lives, and I see no reason for them not to. I may be just an old dog that babbles too much, but I know that we're both growing older, and neither of us should be focusing on regrets. You should remember all the good you've done. Regrets will eat you alive."

Akame was silent, stunned by his friend's words, and suddenly felt a deeper respect for him than he ever had before as he sat there and met his gaze. Then, as if their talk had given him what he needed, the Kishu stood and looked out at the landscape in front of him once more, shooting an almost unnoticeable smile down at Moss as soon as he had.

"Moss," he said simply. "Thank you."

Then he turned and began limping off away from his friend, making the Mastiff shoot to his paws with a look of confusion.

"Where are you going?" he asked warily and Akame looked back at him.

"To finish this." he said. "Whatever it may be. I'm a soldier of Ohu…and this ends tonight."

Moss grunted in impressed surprise and opened his mouth to say more, but Akame had already turned and walked away. The Mastiff nodded to himself approvingly. Then he turned and ran off as well, heading back towards his clan's home base as he prepared to gather Gin and the others, and head for their destination.

* * *

"Moss!" Gin called as the Kaisume Dake leader galloped up to them, his tongue lolling out as he panted from the effort. "What's going on?"

He and John had just arrived back at their friend's cave, and hadn't even gotten a chance to speak to anyone before the Mastiff had appeared as well, his very aura telling Gin that what he had to say was urgent. Moments later, the large, heavily scarred dog confirmed what he suspected.

"Akame's left for Iga." he informed them. "If we want this fight to go smoothly, we should do the same."

Gin nodded instantly.

"Everyone!" he called, looking over at the others. "Get ready to move out! Smith, you know what you have to do?"

"Just leave it to me, leader." the Spaniel said, then glanced around at his friends as soon as he had. "You lot be careful! Don't get killed or something!"

"Ha!" Chutora scoffed, rolling his eyes. "We brought down Akakabuto! Dying at this hooligan's fangs would just be embarrassing!"

"Head back here to Kaisume Dake when you have what you need." Gin ordered, ignoring the Kai dog. "Do you know what you're looking for?"

"I'll figure it out." Smith said simply.

Then he turned and bounded off into the trees without another word, disappearing from view at the same time Zach emerged back into it. Upon seeing him, both Ohu leaders perked their ears up.

"Oi." John said in his smooth, confident voice, getting the other male's attention. "You okay?"

Zach nodded immediately, the expression on his face unreadable.

"I'm fine." he said dismissively. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving for Nagoya." Gin replied, meeting his gaze. "Get ready to move out."

"I'm ready now." the Malamute said in response, then looked around at the group of them with a frown. "Where's Captain Chuckles? He leave already?"

Despite the serious situation they were in, it took real effort for Gin not to laugh at this.

"Yes," the Akita replied, fighting back a smile as he heard the others all quietly snickering behind him. "Akame left for Iga already. And we need to go too."

"He left?" came a new voice and all three males found themselves looking at Takeo when they turned towards it. "He actually went?"

The Kishu sounded genuinely surprised from his position by the cave entrance and Gin inclined his head slightly, meeting his gaze.

"Of course he went." he said. "He's your father."

Takeo turned his head away.

"He's not my father." he said, though he sounded less confident now.

John looked over at the younger male irritatedly.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he gave you away as a pup because he loved you?" he asked scathingly and Takeo tensed immediately. "Did you ever think for one second that maybe he just wanted you to have a better life?"

The Kishu had no answer for this and John nodded with a scoffing shake of his head.

"No," he said. "Of course you didn't."

Gin met Takeo's reluctant gaze as well, a vaguely disappointed look in his eyes.

"Your father loves you," he said. "Whether either one of you admits it or not. I'm sorry about what happened to your mate, but blaming him for it is unfair. Every leader has enemies, and as much as you may want them safe, you can't protect your family all the time. Now, despite his own weakness, your father is going to fight for you and your siblings. The least you can do is do the same."

Takeo seemed to think hard about his words for a long time, a contemplating and almost suspicious frown spreading over his face as he did. Then after looking back at Gin and studying him closely, the Kishu nodded with a guilty looking expression.

"All right." he said quietly, submitting to Gin's request.

Satisfied, the Ohu leader turned and looked at Moss.

"Moss," he said loudly. "Jaguar, are your males ready!"

"Just give the order, Gin." the Mastiff rumbled and at his side, Jaguar and dozens of battle ready subordinates nodded in agreement.

"Consider it given!" Gin said and then exclaimed, "Let's go!"

The dogs of Ohu and Kaisume Dake answered together with a combined shout of support and then followed their leader as he bounded off towards Nagoya, Takeo leading the way at his side as the Misty Mountains and their base began to fade into the distance behind them.

* * *

Akame pushed forward determinedly as he ran, his limp growing more pronounced with every step as an agonizing stab of pain shot through his infected shoulder at the slightest pressure or provocation. Still though, he needed to keep going. Time was running out for him to get to where he needed to be, and he was determined not to give this Izanagi bastard any excuse to hurt someone else before Gin and the others could to get to Nagoya and stop his pack. It had been hours since he had left his friends behind in Kaisume Dake, and the further he pushed into his former territory of Iga, the more nostalgic things became. Despite the years that had passed since he'd been there, the landscape around him still mostly looked the same, and he found himself flashing back to his time as the territory's leader, the faces of his old comrades filling his head as it all came back to him. The ninja-dog shook his head hard.

'No.' he thought. 'I need to focus. If I'm going to survive this fight, I'll need to keep a clear head.'

Still though, as hard as he tried to keep them out, the memories pushed their way through anyway, and Akame found himself thinking again of a past long gone by.

(flashback)

_"Soudaisho!" an urgent voice yelled, its owner skidding to a halt just inside the Iga house's front entrance. "Soudaisho!"_

_ Akame stopped his pacing, looking the younger Kishu over with a suspicious eye. _

_ "Kirikaze," he said, acknowledging the other male by name. "What is it?"_

_"Sensei." Kirikaze said in a professional voice. "The Koga are moving our way. They've already killed 2 of our border guards and may be making a move to attack the house."_

_ Akame's eyes narrowed and he looked over his subordinate's shoulder in silent animosity. Of all the terrible times to fight! He met Kirikaze's gaze, his expression unfaltering. _

_ "Head them off by the Western border." he ordered sternly. "Kurojaki cannot be allowed to take what we protect!"_

_ "Yes, sir!" Kirikaze barked and made to run off, but Akame called him back._

_ "Kirizake!" he called. "What about Chiasa? How is she doing?"_

_ The younger ninja-dog's eyes went momentarily wide and he looked uncomfortable._

_ "Sir…" he said. "No one's told you?"_

_ Akame stepped forward, a lump rising in his throat at the other male's tone of voice. _

_ "How's my mate?" he demanded again. _

_ Kirikaze's expression fell. _

_ "Soudaisho…" he said in a gentle voice. "You're mate….she… There was a problem with the last birth and…" _

_ Akame knew what he was trying to say without any further words. Slumping to the ground with a moan of horror, he felt himself trembling with grief as Kirikaze took a hesitant step forward to comfort him, then seemed to rethink it and retreated back to where he had been. The Iga leader didn't particularly care. Regaining his feet slowly, he stumbled into the other room of the elegant old building and saw a site that would burn itself into his mind forever. His beautiful mate lay dead on her side near the back wall of the room, a few of his ninja subordinates resting beside her with their heads drooped, refusing to meet his gaze. On the ground between her legs, slipping and sliding in a large pool of their mother's blood, squirmed 6 whimpering Kishu puppies, all of them crying for the touch of their mother or father as they did. Akame walked forward shakily, nosing at his children gently as he took in their scent and tried not to look at what had once been the dog he'd loved. _

_ 'So there __**are**__ 6.' he thought, a momentary flicker of pride asserting itself in him. 'I told Ben there was. Oh Chiasa…I'm so sorry…"_

_Behind him, Kirikaze stood with a pity-filled expression. _

_ "Soudaisho…" he said again. "What do you want us to do?"_

_ Akame was silent for a long time, thinking hard as he straightened back up and waited for the tears streaming down his face to fall away. By the doorway he had walked through, Hayato and his elder brother appeared behind them and deposited the body of one of his border guards, the dog's face ripped up so badly that he was unrecognizable. As the brothers vanished from sight again, Akame stared at the corpse, and his expression suddenly became pained as he made up his mind. Then, as Kirikaze followed him with his gaze, he looked down at his children and swallowed hard. _

_ "Take them North." he said softly. "Away from here. Make absolutely sure that the Koga don't see you."_

_ Kirikaze let out a grunt of shock._

_ "Sir?" he said. "What do you – ?"_

_ "I want them __**safe**__, Kirikaze." Akame said determinedly, cutting him off. "I will __**not**__ let this war kill them too. You take them North and give them to humans to take care of. Then maybe they'll have a chance at a peaceful life."_

_ "Sensei," the younger Kishu said, looking truly stunned. "I don't think that – "_

_ "Don't question my orders!" Akame barked. "Just do it! Wherever you decide to take them, tell…tell the dogs there that their names are Asami, Hajime, Takeo, Koji, Kaito, and Ran."_

_ He looked hard at his fellow ninja-dog._

_ "And tell them that when my pups are old enough," he said. "They're to swear, __**swear**__…to never become ninja-dogs like me. That's my one wish. For them to live their lives in peace and never experience __**this**__. Can I entrust you with this, Kirikaze?"_

_ The younger Kishu looked taken aback for a moment, but then nodded with a determined look. _

_ "Good." Akame said. "Then get it done. As quickly as you can."_

_ Kirikaze nodded again and quickly gestured to his fellow ninja-dogs resting nearby, picking up two of the whining pups in his jaws as he did. Leaping to their feet, they each did the same and followed him as he took off running into the forest, vanishing from sight seconds later. In the darkness of the Iga house, Akame watched them go. _

_ "Have a good life…" he said softly, his tears returning again. "Good luck."_

(end flashback)_  
_

"Well look who showed up?"

Akame snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he heard the voice, its smug tone cutting through the silence like a knife as he stopped in his tracks. Looking up, he saw that he had come to a stop near the foundation of an old house, the structure that had rested on it having long since burned and rotted away. Standing in front of it, flanked by two subordinates and wearing a triumphant grin that angered Akame down to his core, was a large Wolfhound, a dog that could only be one in the world. Izanagi smirked.

"Hello, ninja." he drawled. "Welcome home."

* * *

Moss breathed steadily as he crouched amongst the trees surrounding Nagoya, his ears catching the quiet huffs and pants of his comrades as they waited beside him. The group of them had reached the small town only 15 minutes ago, and it hadn't taken long for them to find where Izanagi's subordinates were holding their hostages. In the small clearing in front of them, a large group of pet dogs sat in the middle of an equally large group of hostiles, their expressions telling the Mastiff and his friends everything they needed to know about how badly the Wolfhound's dogs were treating them. To Moss's right, Gin leaned in closely to Takeo, who had a look of fury on his face as he gazed upon the pain being inflicted on his friends and family alike.

"Takeo," the Akita whispered. "Do you recognize any of Izanagi's pack?"

The young Kishu didn't answer for a moment, and only spoke when two other Wolfhounds, a female and a young male, came over the hill beyond the clearing into view.

"That one's his second in command." he said, gesturing at the male Wolfhound with his muzzle. "He said it was his son."

"Any others?"

"No."

"All right," Gin said, watching as the two Wolfhounds started to argue. "We move in on my signal. Moss, you and John lead the charge from the front. Zach, you and I will hit them from above. Everyone clear?"

Then he gave a pointed glare at John, Zach, and Kurotora.

"Take all the enemy dogs down," he said. "But only kill when necessary. We have innocents caught in the crossfire here. I mean it. NO unnecessary deaths."

All three gave different forms of the same amused snort.

"You make that sound like it was such a bad thing." Kurotora said with a smirk, but Gin ignored him.

When Moss followed his friend's gaze back to the scene in front of him though, they were greeted with a surprise. The young male Wolfhound was gone and the female was moving off back into the town, a determined look on her face.

"Damn it." Gin swore, seeing it too. "Go! GO!"

At that, Moss shot back to his paws and charged forward out of the bushes, John, Jaguar and the Kai brothers at his side as he did. Izanagi's troops were caught completely off guard. John tackled the nearest one, a mutt of some kind, to the ground immediately and ripped his throat out before the other male could so much as yelp in surprise or call for help from his comrades. As it turned out though, they heard him anyway.

"Shit!" one of them, a Rottweiler, yelled. "Kill them! Kill the hostages!"

Then the whole clearing erupted into a snarling, bloody chaos. Moss saw Jaguar and one of the enemy dogs come together in a thrashing, snarling mass a few feet over, their heads smashing together with a loud 'POP' before blood started to fly from them both. He meanwhile, saw that the pet dogs had started to run and dashed immediately to help them, bowling over two of Izanagi's dogs as they tried to cut them off. Then he felt a pain in the nape of his neck and looked up to see another enemy on top of him with its fangs sunk deeply into his flesh. Moss gave a short laugh.

"Young one," he snorted. "Mosquitos have wounded me deeper."

Then, with one hard jerk of his huge body, Moss sent the unfortunate dog flying into another of his comrades, both of them crashing to the ground in a heap moments later. The Mastiff could've howled with excitement. This was exactly the kind of action he'd needed for a long time. His happiness, however, was nearly short lived. To his right, he suddenly saw a Borzoi from Izanagi's pack lunging to attack a small St. Bernard puppy cowering on the ground nearby, and none of his friends was near enough to stop it.

"No!" he snarled in horror, throwing himself after the enemy dog uselessly.

Suddenly, though, a blue flash dropped out of the trees above the Borzoi and leveled him with one hard slash across the throat, landing on all fours neatly a moment later. Moss sighed with relief. It was Gin. As the pup's mother came running back and grabbed the tiny, trembling form, the Ohu leader leapt back into the fray, taking out two more dogs at once as Zach suddenly lunged out of another tree and decapitated a Saluki that was about to attack him from behind. Moss was deeply impressed and decided to go in their direction, seeing John and Chutora causing all sorts of havoc to his left as he did. Moments later, Zach leapt up into the air again and landed in front of the fleeing female Wolfhound, stopping her dead in her tracks as Gin and Takeo came running up as well. The Malamute growled at her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded in a threatening voice.

To Moss's surprise, she was not at all defiant.

"Please…" she begged. "Don't kill me!"

Takeo narrowed his eyes.

"Are you Izanagi's sister?" he asked and she shook her head.

"N-No." she said shakily. "He's my – was my mate. I came back to get my son and get away from him."

Moss cocked his head as the Kishu gave a look of surprise.

"Get away from him?" he repeated. "So you don't want to protect him."

"I just want my son." she said more forcefully, regaining some courage. "Izanagi is dead to me. I don't care what happens to him now."

Then it was Moss's turn to be surprised as a sly looking smile suddenly passed over Zach's face, causing Gin to turn to him warningly.

"I don't like that look, Zach." he warned, but the Malamute ignored him.

"If we promise your son safety," he said to the female. "Will you help us bring down Izanagi?"

The Wolfhound looked both shocked and grateful.

"Yes." she said, nodding emphatically. "I swear it!"

"Zach," Gin said, turning to his comrade completely. "What are you doing? She's no soldier! We can't put her in harm's way just because she's Izanagi's mate!"

"Oh yes we can." Zach retorted, and then gave Gin a strange smile. "I have an idea, leader."

* * *

Akame narrowed his eyes at Izanagi, feeling his strength slowly waning as more of the evil Wolfhound's subordinates came slinking out the trees around them until he was all but surrounded. He wasn't surprised by this, having not trusted the other male for a minute when he'd heard the challenge, but even so, it put him at even greater risk. The chances of him emerging from the confrontation alive were dimming by the second. The Kishu glared at the smirking Wolfhound.

"All right." he said in a voice that dripped with anger. "I'm here. Tell your dogs to leave my family alone."

"Heh," the large male laughed. "You didn't seriously think I'd let them go did you? By now they should already by dead. Which leaves only you to deal with."

Akame forced back his sudden fear. He trusted his friends. There was no way they'd ever let that happen. He growled at his enemy.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" he demanded. "I've done you no harm!"

Izanagi looked staggered, his expression akin to that of someone who had just received the most shocking news in his life.

"Done me no harm?" he snarled. "You – You – "

Then Akame saw him look closer at him, his shoulder now feeling like someone was twisting a knife into it. Moments later, the Wolfhound's eyes went wide.

"You don't remember…" he realized in fury. "You bastard! How could you not remember?"

Then he suddenly launched himself at Akame in a fit of rage, forcing the Kishu to dodge aside quickly to avoid getting hit. Unfortunately, doing this meant landing on his bad leg and he immediately came up limping with a loud groan of pain, wincing as he tried to mentally will it away. This didn't last very long. Izanagi barreled into him seconds later with punishing speed, sending him rolling to the dirt with a grunt to land on his back. From there, the enraged Wolfhound grabbed him by the leg, swinging him into the trunk of a nearby tree hard with a wood-splintering 'CRASH' as soon as he had. Akame growled in pain, forcing himself shakily to his paws once more. Seeing Izanagi leap in to hit him again, he managed to gather his strength and dodge the attack, slashing his opponent's eye as hard as he could in the process.

Izanagi gave a cry of anguish, pawing at his face instinctively as his subordinates all rushed at Akame in fury. Seeing this, the ninja-dog dodged left and right, ducking under bites and leaping over slashes until one of them finally managed to grab him by the tail, yanking him to the ground with a 'THUD' as soon as he had. Then Akame of Iga felt fangs tear into him everywhere. With mouthfuls of his flesh between their jaws, Izanagi's troops twisted their heads around violently and tried to rip chunks right off his body, making him yelp in pain as he tried to fight passing out. Then though, one of them bit him right on the infected part of his shoulder and Akame howled in agony, feeling a strong pair of jaws snap down on the upper part of his muzzle as soon as he had. It was Izanagi himself, and he was none too happy.

"I bet that hurt, didn't it?" he said in a subtlely mocking voice. "That looks pretty infected, Akame. Looks like we're only ending your life a couple weeks early."

"Izanagi…" Akame said softly, trying mightily to stay conscious. "I don't know why you're doing this, but I'll never let you get away with it. Gin will never let you get away with it."

"Gin of Ohu is a wannabe." the Wolfhound spat, licking Akame's own blood off his fangs as he did. "We'll be long gone by the time he gets here. And as for **you**…"

He leaned in closer and looked Akame in the eyes.

"You're gonna remember me," he threatened with a bloodthirsty look. "One way or another. Is it coming back yet? Remember back during your little ninja war? I offered you my assistance you tried to have me killed!"

Akame looked at the ground, trying as hard as he could to remember. He couldn't ever recall having met the Wolfhound before. Unless… Suddenly, it hit him. There **was** an incident, though a very small one, during one of his first years in charge of the Iga ninja-dogs. But that was nothing, barely anything at all! **That** couldn't be what all this was about could it? The more it came back to him though, the more he realized that that was indeed what the evil Wolfhound was referring to. Giving his opponent a look of shock, Akame saw Izanagi nod knowingly.

"Yeah," he drawled. "You remember."

"You – You –" Akame sputtered. "You did all this because of **that**?"

Izanagi straightened up where he stood.

"I offered to join your clan and help you defeat the Koga ninja-dogs." he said. "Instead of taking me up on my offer, you tried to kill me and had your coward subordinates throw me out of your territory by force. I was left with nothing."

"You attacked me." Akame shot back, still shocked by the pointlessness of the whole thing. "We were in the middle of a war and I didn't even know who you were. Despite that, I tried to be polite to you and send you on your way, but before I could even open my mouth to explain why, you attacked me without provocation. That's why we kicked you out of our territory. I never **once** tried to kill you."

Izanagi suddenly spun around and kicked the ninja-dog in the jaw with his hind leg, making him grunt loudly in pain and go flying backwards into another tree. The impact split Akame's head open on a broken branch, and he slumped to the ground again as blood came streaming down into his white fur, staining it with red. Then the Wolfhound stalked up to him again.

"Did you know that there was a time when I actually admired you?" he said. "Despite the fact that you were younger than me. After that day though, I've just wanted to make you suffer ever since. How dare you do that to a male like me?"

Then he smirked down at the Kishu.

"Well, it's a new day, Akame." he drawled. "Now that my pack and I are about to take all this country's territories for our own, I figured I'd start with you. Then, when I'm the ruler of Gajou, I'm going to bury you somewhere close by so I can spit on your grave every morning when I'm finished making new heirs with my mate. What do you think of that?"

Akame breathed heavily, glaring up at him furiously.

"You're a thug, Izanagi." he said. "Nothing more. That's all you've ever been. All you do is hurt others to make yourself feel powerful. That's the mark of a coward, not a real male. You're unworthy to walk on that holy ground where my friends gave their lives, and you never will."

The Wolfhound was beside himself.

"All you ever **did** was hurt your opponents to show your power!" he barked. "That's why I came to join you! You're not just a coward, Akame, you're a hypocrite on top of it! I'll be doing the world a favor by killing you!"

"We were fighting for a cause!" the Kishu replied shortly. "We were trying to **defeat** them, to protect our house and its documents! You were just there to kill. That's all you cared about."

"What do you think war is, you stupid fuck?" Izanagi snarled and Akame's eyes suddenly went deadly.

"Don't you **dare** lecture me about war, you disrespectful piece of shit!" he growled in a low, rage-filled voice, sounding nothing like himself. "I've watched friends of mine die in battle since I was a pup…and every minute since then I have tried to end the fighting and bring peace back to my home. You think I wanted to kill them all? If I could've worked my will, the only one who would have died was Kurojaki himself. Being a ninja-dog is about honor, loyalty, and doing what's right. **That's** why I turned you away…because you had none of those things. You were, and still are, just a violent hooligan pretending he's great. You're nothing!"

Izanagi howled in fury and grabbed him by the neck with his jaws, tearing bloody slashes in his flesh as he swung around and threw him back into the middle of the clearing. Then he looked around at his subordinates.

"Beat him to death!" he shouted. "And make it painful!"

The group of dogs all acknowledged him with loud shouts of their own and rushed the fallen Ohu commander, bloodthirsty looks on their faces as Akame struggled in vain to regain his feet.

"Nobody move!"

Everyone skidded to a halt as the new voice echoed across the clearing, and Izanagi whipped his head around to look for its source.

"Who the hell?" he said, sounding angry at being interrupted.

"Up here."

Akame followed the Wolfhound's gaze and gasped in shock as he saw a familiar face standing on a hill overlooking the scene. It was Zach. Izanagi glared up at him.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded and Zach snorted.

"I'm Zach." he said simply, then nodded at Akame. "I'm with him."

"Well you're too late to save him." Izanagi said, "Now fuck off!"

Zach seemed unfazed, and Akame tried to look him in the eyes, not liking the calculating look on the Malamute's face one bit as he tried to catch his breath and speak up.

"This doesn't look much like a one-one-one duel to me." Zach sneered. "Maybe you should live up to your own terms before things start going badly for you."

Izanagi turned and looked at him.

"Why don't you run along and play, **boy**?" he said in an extremely condescending voice. "The adults are busy at the moment."

Zach shrugged.

"All right." he said. "I just came to let you know that you lost something."

At that, he reached behind him and came back with another dog's throat between his jaws, its owner struggling against his hold. Izanagi froze.

"Iza!" the dog cried. "Help me!"

It was Shika. Behind Izanagi, a second new voice suddenly made itself known.

"Mom?"

The evil Wolfhound whirled and saw his son standing in the bushes where he'd been hiding, a scared look on his face as he saw his mother's predicament.

"What are **you** doing here?" he howled. "I told you to stay – "

"Izanagi," Zach threatened loudly, cutting him off. "You're gonna call off your dogs and fight fairly or I'm gonna kill your mate…right in front of you."

Akame gasped, finally regaining his voice.

"Zach!" he yelled. "Stand down! This isn't your fight!"

"Shut up, Akame." the younger male replied simply.

"This isn't how a real male acts! Have you forgotten everything we taught you?"

"Shut **up**, Akame!"

The Kishu went silent in shock and Zach looked back at Izanagi, cracking his neck as he did.

"You have 5 seconds to call them off or I rip off one of her ears." he said and the Wolfhound shook his head with a confident smirk.

"You don't have the balls." he said, licking his fangs. "You're bluffing."

Zach was silent for minute and stared right into his eyes. Then he leaned forward.

"5." he said simply.

Then, to everyone's shock, he threw Shika on the ground out of their sight, grabbed something in his jaws, and jerked his head back hard. An agonized shriek of pain pierced the calm and when Akame looked again, he clearly saw Zach spit a severed ear out of his mouth on the ground. Izanagi howled in fury.

"You fuck!" he bellowed. "I'll kill you! I swear to god, I'll – "

"YOU SWEAR **WHAT**?" Zach cut him off with a terrifying roar. "WHAT DO YOU SWEAR, YOU SICK FUCK? CALL THEM OFF RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME GOD, I'LL RIP HER LIMB FROM LIMB! DO IT!"

Akame felt a chill go through the parts of his body he could still feel. Unblinkingly, he stared at Zach in horror, wondering what had happened to make everything go so wrong. The Malamute met his gaze seriously.

"Akame." he said, lowering his voice. "This is your battle. Do what you will, sir."

Then, to the Kishu's surprise, Zach winked at him, a gesture he was sure no one saw but him. Grunting under his breath as he saw it, he held the other male's gaze for a long time, hearing Izanagi furiously calling off his remaining subordinates as he did. Then Zach gave a little nod and Akame returned it, deciding to trust him as he forced himself to his paws moments later. This done, he turned to the clearly shaken Izanagi, who glared up at Zach hatefully.

"I'll hunt you down for this, you bastard." he threatened in a low voice. "You **and** your entire family."

Zach snorted.

"I'm all aquiver." he said sarcastically and Izanagi growled, turning back to Akame.

"First though" he hissed, "I'll deal with you."

Akame lowered himself into a battle stance.

"Let's finish this, then." he said. "I have family waiting for me."

The Wolfhound lunged immediately with a full-throated snarl, his sharp fangs aimed at Akame's face. For his part, the Kishu gathered his remaining strength and waited for the right moment to strike, doing so right before his opponent reached him. Leaping forward at an angle, he slashed Izanagi up the side of his throat and sent blood flying from the impact, making the evil dog stumble as he landed. Then Akame lunged again, but this time Izanagi whirled around and head-butted him hard right between the eyes, making the Kishu fall back into the same tree he'd hit before. When the Wolfhound charged again right after this, Akame knew that he had to end it with his next attack, as he just didn't have the strength left to keep going. Positioning himself just right, he grabbed a branch broken from his earlier impact and waited for Izanagi to get close enough. Then, right as the Wolfhound's fangs were about to end his life, Akame whirled around and drove the branch into the other male's open mouth as hard as he could, making the sharpened end of it explode out the back of his neck moments later in an explosion of blood. Izanagi's eyes went wide with shock and then rolled up into his head as he dropped like a rag doll, landing with a dull 'THUD' on his side. He was dead before he hit the ground. Then Akame's remaining strength failed him as well and he fell over onto his side too, breathing shallowly as his vision began to blur.

"Akame!" Zach cried and then turned to Moss, who stood quickly from where he had been concealed. "Moss-san! We – "

"I know!" the Mastiff said with a nod. "I'm on it!"

Then he charged down the slope at the Wolfhound's remaining subordinates, all of whom yelped in fright at his sheer size and ran away as a group, tripping over each other as they tried to get away. Moments later, they had disappeared into the woods. Moss skidded to a halt by Akame.

"They won't get away." he said with a satisfied look, as if he knew what the Kishu was thinking. "Jaguar and the rest of my pack are waiting for them a few hundred feet in there. They won't get far."

Akame nodded but said nothing, looking instead back up to where Zach was running down the hill towards them. Another figure was at his side though, and Akame recognized it immediately as the female the Malamute had been holding, both ears intact and looking totally unharmed. He smiled weakly, happy that his earlier suspicions had been correct. Shika, for her part, trotted up to her son, who hadn't moved since his father had fallen.

"It's all right!" she said in a comforting voice to him. "It's okay!"

Her son, however, didn't look comforted at all.

"Mom…?" he said in a hollow sounding voice. "H-He ripped your ear off! I saw it!"

She shook her head.

"It was another dog's ear from an earlier fight." she said. "Not mine. But it's over now! Now we can live in peace again!"

He glared at her in utter betrayal and disgust, his eyes growing wide.

"You **planned** this?" he whispered. "You worked **with** them? They're the enemy! They killed Dad!"

"No," she pleaded with him. "They're not the enemy! I'm sorry you had to see this, but your father needed to be stopped. Please, now you and I can be a family!"

She reached out to nuzzle him comfortingly with her nose, but he jerked away angrily.

"You bitch." he said with a furious look. "I'll never forgive you! You **bitch**!"

Then he turned and ran off into the trees as well and Shika gasped, turning to Zach.

"Please," she said. "Can I…?"

The Malamute nodded.

"A promise is a promise." he said. "We won't hunt him down. Go on."

She nodded gratefully at him.

"Thank you for everything." she said and then took off after her son, yelling his name loudly as she did. "Kamakiri! Kamakiri, wait!"

Moments later, her voice faded and they were both gone. Zach immediately leapt up to Akame's side.

"Hang in there, Akame!" he said and the Kishu looked up at him weakly.

"You're…a disturbingly good liar…" he said and Zach smiled.

"I had some practice." he replied and Moss gently picked up his friend by the neck, throwing him onto his back seconds later as softly as he could.

Once the Kishu was positioned so it wasn't painful for him, the small group set off back the way they came, heading towards where Gin and the others were undoubtedly waiting for them. Akame looked up at Moss as they did.

"My…children…?" he asked and the Mastiff nodded.

"They're fine." he said reassuringly. "Don't worry."

"Get some rest." Zach added from his position alongside the larger dog.

Akame's tired gaze panned to him, a ghost of a smile on his muzzle.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he whispered. "About your family. I didn't mean that at all. And I'm sorry I doubted you. I should know better than to doubt you by now, Zach."

The Malamute looked touched and gave him a warm smile.

"Get some rest, Akame." he repeated quietly and the Kishu did just that, slipping into unconsciousness as the small group walked off back home.

* * *

Akame inhaled deeply as he awoke, an amalgam of scents finding their way to his sensitive nose as his eyes fluttered open. Even before his vision adjusted, he could tell that he was back in Kaisume Dake, and he wondered silently how Gin and the others were faring after their victory in Nagoya. He was back in Moss's main base cave, he could see, and there seemed to be no one else there with him, although traces of their scents still lingered from before. As his senses returned fully though, he felt that his back was pressed up against something warm, and despite knowing immediately that it was another dog, he was greatly surprised to hear the voice that followed.

"How do you feel?"

Forcing himself to roll onto his other side, Akame found himself looking at Takeo, whose concerned and hesitant eyes were fixed onto the ninja-dog's own. The older Kishu grunted softly.

"I'll live." he said. "Are you all right?"

Takeo nodded.

"So is Asami," he said. "And my…"

"Your?"

"…my other friends." the younger Kishu finished, looking away. "Everyone somehow made it through alive. We owe your friends a great debt."

Akame sensed that he was hiding something, but let it slide anyway. He was still too tired to argue. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he stretched his back slowly.

"They'll be pleased to hear it." he said, looking out the cave opening.

Takeo, however, called his attention back moments later.

"Dad?" he said, and Akame was startled enough by the word's usage that he turned back to the younger Kishu with widened eyes.

Then Takeo smiled at him, and the guilt behind it was as plain as day.

"Thank you," he said. "For – For fighting for us. It seems I may have been wrong about you."

Akame nodded at him, feeling very touched deep down. Moments later, Takeo stood, looking around as he did.

"I better go." he said. "I've got an entire village of dogs who are gonna be looking to me to get them through this. I shouldn't keep them waiting long."

Akame stood as well, looking at his son apologetically.

"Takeo," he said. "I need you to know…when I gave you all away, it was never because I didn't love you, or I didn't want you. It was because I loved you too much. You deserved better than what I could've given. I didn't want that war to take you too."

The younger Kishu nodded, his ears reversing as his smile remained.

"I know." he said and Akame pulled up slightly in surprise.

"You…do?"

Takeo nodded again.

"Yeah." he said. "You're my father…and I'm your son."

It took all the willpower Akame possessed to hold back his tears at this, but he managed it admirably as Takeo stepped up to the cave entrance. Then he met his father's gaze one last time.

"Bye Dad." he said simply.

Then, before Akame could respond, Takeo of Nagoya turned and vanished out the entrance, disappearing into the trees as soon as he left the cave and reentered the outside world. Smiling after him, Akame walked outside as well, seeing multiple familiar faces as soon as he had.

"Akame!" Gin exclaimed, turning from where he had been talking to John and Moss. "You're awake!"

"Mmm." the ninja-dog nodded. "And it seems I'm healing well. How long was I out?"

"Almost 2 days." Kurotora said, walking up beside Gin. "You had us worried."

Akame blinked in surprise. Had it really been that long? He looked at them almost sheepishly.

"Sorry." he said sincerely, then looked over at Smith. "You found what you needed I assume?"

"Of course." the Spaniel said with a nod and Akame cocked his head.

"How long did it take you?" he asked. "I didn't even get a chance to tell you where to look."

Smith gave a laugh.

"I'm Master Detective Smith!" he grinned proudly. "Nothing escapes my nose."

The Kishu raised his eyebrows at his friend, secretly impressed. Then he shook his head.

"At least it's over now." he replied. "And I'm glad that you all made it out all right as well."

"Pff! It was hardly a challenge." John boasted with a snort. "I've been in more intense arguments. My fangs barely got any action at all."

"Yeah," Zach smirked from Smith's side. "Too bad the rest of your mouth won't follow their example."

Both packs laughed at this, and the Shepherd scowled at the Malamute.

"It might when it's wrapped around your throat." he shot back and Akame chuckled with another shake of his head.

"Good to see you two will never change." he said and Gin nodded in amused agreement, turning to Moss as he did.

"Moss," he said. "Now that Akame's on the mend, we should probably head on. You're welcome to join us."

"Yeah," Chutora chimed in. "Come with us, Pops!"

The Mastiff shook his head.

"I'd love to." he said. "But Jaguar and I are going to be busy in the aftermath of all this. Our borders need to be strengthened; Takeo's pack might need assistance. Seems we finally have some action of our own thanks to you."

Gin snorted.

"What can I say?" he said. "I attract trouble."

"And this old demon is eternally grateful." Moss said, his tongue lolling out. "Oh, and Chutora?"

The Kai's ear perked up at the mention of his name.

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me 'Pops'."

"Cheh! Fine."

Then Gin looked around at his friends.

"Come on, guys!" he said. "Let's head out!"

They nodded and followed him as he began to run off, his powerful legs taking him further and further away with every stride. At the last second though, Moss called out Zach's name, making the Malamute turn around in surprise. When their gazes met, Moss nodded at the other male.

"It was good to see you again." he said. "You've done all right for yourself, boy."

"Thanks." Zach said and the Mastiff gestured at where Gin and the others had gone.

"Take care of them." he said. "Or else you answer to me."

Zach nodded with a smirk.

"Consider it done." he said.

Then he nodded at Jaguar and ran after the others, catching up to them moments later. Akame glanced at him as he trotted up, Moss and Jaguar already gone from their view.

"Everything all right?" he asked and Zach nodded, falling in line beside him.

"Yeah." he answered. "We're good."

"Good." Akame said in a satisfied voice, then turned his gaze to the group's leader. "Where to now, Gin?"

The Akita glanced back at him.

"Shikoku." he replied. "It's time we paid Musashi a visit."

Smith groaned slightly.

"That's a long way, leader!" he said and Gin smiled teasingly at him.

"In that case," he said. "We better start right away."

Then the Ohu army continued down the path and began heading South once more, their hearts set on reaching the island territory of Shikoku…and their fight dog comrade who resided there.

* * *

Takeo looked around as he walked down his village street, blinking fatigue out of his eyes as he did. The sun was just beginning to set over the Western horizon, and Nagoya's rustic buildings seemed to shimmer in the gleam from its last waning rays. The Kishu kept his pace steady, stretching his neck as he heard another dog pad up silently beside him. It was his sister, Asami.

"Brother," she said. "Is everything all right?"

He nodded.

"Yes." he said. "I think it will be now. Are the others all back with their masters?"

"Most of them." she said. "I'm helping the last few get to theirs now."

"Good." he said, then looked at her with a sad smile. "I need to get home. Someone's waiting for me."

She gave him a look that was filled with both pity and love.

"If you need any help," she said. "You know where to find me."

He nodded gratefully, and she turned and continued on down the street, disappearing from his view right as he reached his master's yard. Leaping over the gate, he was immediately confronted by another, much smaller form, its tiny legs pumping furiously as it ran out to meet him.

"Dad!" the pup squeaked. "Dad! You're home!"

Takeo nodded, nudging it gently with his nose.

"Yeah." he said. "I'm home."

"Where's mom?"

He paused to collect himself.

"She had to go away." he said shakily and the puppy panted excitedly, not understanding what he meant.

"Where were you all day, Dad?" he asked. "We're you helping somebody?"

"Actually…" Takeo said thoughtfully. "Someone was helping me."

"Who was it, Dad?"

Takeo smiled at him.

"A great male." he said. "Some day, Shirozaru…I'll tell you all about him."

Then he leaned down and picked up the squirming pup in his mouth, disappearing inside his master's house moments later as the sun set behind him in his wake.


	11. Story 11: The Fighter

**Author's Note: **Story 11! Sorry for the wait on this one, guys. My college work is really piling up. Okay now, a couple things about this chapter. First of all, this chapter is both the longest and most violent in the entire saga (the next one **will** be shorter – I promise!), and for that I apologize. However, it is also very important to the overall story arc that this is following and needed to be this long because of that. Also, the reason that Zach has featured prominently in both the last chapter and this one is because there's a big event coming up for him in his storyline and after that he won't be seen for a while.

The focus here though is on John, and I wanted to give him the spotlight for this chapter and build on his character a little (specifically his relationship with Zach, because that comes back into the story later in a big way) the way the last one did with Akame. Oh and as a bonus, keep an eye out during Gin's conversation with Chutora, as there's actually a very subtle hint in there as to what the next story is going to be about. **whew!** Okay, I'm done explaining. I'm actually pretty proud of this one, so I hope everyone likes it! Thanks and please review! :)

Thanks to Des, F-Rivera, and Katana for reviewing the last chapter!

* * *

John's head snapped to the side as he was hit again. The blow was harder this time and he felt his left eye swell shut as the paw that was responsible repeated the motion again, its owner showing no sympathy whatsoever for the younger dog pinned beneath him. The young Shepherd winced, tasting blood vividly in his mouth. This was the third fight he had picked in the last 5 days, and it was by far the hardest one yet, his latest opponent being a local hunting dog that was supposed to be one of the toughest males in the area. The other two dogs that had provoked his wrath had been dealt with swiftly and severely, both of them having been sent limping for their lives with various permanent wounds. John smirked inwardly as he remembered it, not pitying them in the slightest. That's what they got for messing with him. Still though, this new dog was no novice in battle and as John heard the cheers and howls of the spectators around them watching the show excitedly, he wondered momentarily if he had bitten off more than he could chew. That thought was gone within moments.

'The hell with this.' he thought.

Bringing back his hind leg, John kicked the other male in the groin hard and threw him off by force when he yelped in pain, doing so right as the larger dog's jaws missed his throat by inches. When he landed moments later, John was on him immediately. The young German Shepherd bit and slashed at him again and again, ripping bloody wounds all over his body as he did so. Then he grabbed him by the throat violently and began slamming his head into the concrete beneath him, only stopping when the other dog's blood was spattered everywhere. The older male immediately went limp with dizziness and John growled triumphantly.

'Got you now.' he thought smugly and prepared for the finishing blow.

Suddenly, something hit him in the side with tremendous force and he was sent careening into a nearby building wall, slumping down to the alleyway ground as soon as he had impacted. Shaking his head to clear it, he looked up, expecting to see one of the dog's comrades leaping in to help him. Instead, the last person he expected…or wanted…to see stood over his fallen opponent, who was blinking blood out of his eyes as he tried to regain his feet. It was his father, Will. John growled in annoyance, standing slowly as the older Shepherd jerked the beaten dog beneath him to his paws and tossed him roughly towards the alleyway entrance, glaring death at the other dogs there as he did.

"Get lost!" he snapped at them. "All of you! Don't make me go get someone you'll regret seeing even more than me!"

The group immediately dispersed, disappearing amongst the buildings before the larger male made good on his threat. Once they were gone, Will turned on John, the disgusted scowl on his face growing more pronounced by the moment. Then he yanked him to his feet as well, not saying a word as he half dragged the younger Shepherd back onto the main street. John struggled against his grip.

"Dad," he grunted. "Let go! I can walk by myself!"

"The only thing you can apparently do by yourself is screw up." the other dog hissed angrily. "I stopped by to see how your training was going, but apparently you can't even be bothered to stick with **that**!"

"I **am** sticking with it!" John protested, wincing as his father tightened his hold. "I'm the best hunting dog in the area! Nobody can beat me now, Dad!"

Will again said nothing, instead dragging him faster until they reached the home of John's master, at which point he picked him up and threw him hard over the tall fence into the yard, leaping over it himself moments later. John landed with a whine of pain, glaring at his father angrily as soon as his wounded body stopped throbbing.

"Ow!" he yelped. "What the hell?"

"That hurt?" Will asked, glaring at him. "Good. You deserve every bit of it. How many times have I warned you not to pick fights with everyone you see, John? 5, 6 times a week since you were born? Huh?"

"Dad," the young male protested. "This was different! He attacked me!"

"After you provoked him, I'm sure." Will replied, looking at his son as if he were a total stranger.

"He attacked a friend of mine the other day!"

"Don't insult my intelligence, boy!" the older Shepherd snapped. "The only thing you've ever cared about is yourself! As if you would fight for someone else!"

"That's not true!" John said in a hurt voice. "I'm growing stronger! I'm gonna be the greatest hunting dog ever, Dad! No one's gonna look down on John! I'll be just as good as you ever were! And then when I come home, you and Mom will see that I'm a great male!"

"You're not coming home."

John's next protest died in his throat.

"…What?" he asked confusedly.

Will's expression didn't change a bit.

"I've had enough, John." he said. "I'm done. You're old enough now that you should be out on your own anyway, and then you can fight to your heart's content. But I'm not gonna be there to pull you out of the next one."

"Dad…" John said. "What are you saying?"

Will turned and leapt back over the fence to the street, turning back to it as his son walked up to the iron bars.

"This human's your master now, John." he said. "Permanently. From now on, you live with him. If you stick with your training then **maybe** you'll make something of yourself someday. Otherwise, you're gonna wind up as just another body dead in a gutter somewhere…unmissed. Least of all by me. God knows I've given you enough chances already."

Then he rolled his shoulders and gave John one last long look.

"Good luck, boy." he said. "I hope you do become a good male someday. Until then though, my home is no longer yours. Goodbye."

Then he turned and walked away, never once looking back. John raced to the bars, fury and anguish erupting from him as he shoved his muzzle between two of them.

"Fine!" he shouted. "I'll stay away! I won't even look back! I'll be a better male than you ever were, you asshole! You just watch! My name'll be remembered forever! I'm John! I'M JOHN!"

No one answered. Will was gone. John turned and stormed back over to his kennel, growling angrily as he tried to force back his tears. Why was he acting this way, he wondered. It's not like he and his father had ever gotten along. Maybe him leaving for good was a good thing. It certainly was no big loss for him. John felt tears begin sliding down his furred, bloodied cheeks and dispatched them with a hard shake of his head.

'Don't be weak!' he told himself, listening as the human called Hidetoshi arrived back from wherever he'd been. 'Males don't cry! What kind of male are you anyway?"

Only the wind responded. Everything else was silent. John reversed his ears, his tail drooping as he realized that there was no one who could've answered him even if he had asked the question out loud. He was alone. Turning, he disappeared into the kennel, the light abandoning him as well as he passed the threshold. He intended to stay a good long while within its confines. After all, males didn't let others see them cry.

* * *

John rolled his eyes as Smith's stomach growled again, the Spaniel making no effort to cover it up as he licked his chops near the back of the group.

"God, I'm hungry!" he announced and the Shepherd shook his head, exchanging a look with Gin as the Akita glanced back at the black and white dog.

"So we hear." he replied teasingly and Kurotora raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Are you ever **not** hungry, Smith?"

"Hey!" the Spaniel said defensively. "That was a long swim! And I haven't eaten in two days! What do you expect?"

The Kai dog looked at him with wide, mocking eyes.

"You haven't eaten in **2 days**?" he exclaimed sarcastically. "How will you survive?"

"By hiding my food before it's all given to Akame." Smith grumbled, snorting irritatedly at Kurotora as he did.

The ninja-dog scowled at him from Zach's side, his face seemingly unable to decide whether it wanted to convey amusement or exasperation.

"I'm sorry my life-threatening injuries interfered with your eating schedule, Smith." he deadpanned, and the Spaniel looked away.

"Hmph." he huffed. "Apology accepted."

John chuckled silently as he tuned out Akame's response, hearing scattered laughter from behind him as the human city of Tosa rose up in front of them, its large buildings looking almost picturesque against the nearby sea. The Shepherd squinted as the evening wind teased at his fur, dozens of new scents wafting by his nostrils as he looked around for where Musashi and his fellow fight dogs lived.

"Over there." came a calm voice from beside him and John looked over with a start to see Gin smiling at him knowingly.

The Akita gestured with his head.

"That's where we're going," he said, motioning to a series of buildings on the other side of the city near the arena, which was just barely visible from their position. "Don't you remember?"

John snorted good-naturedly.

"I do now." he replied and Gin chuckled, the two of them starting down the hill as the rest of the pack followed closely in their wake.

Moments later, they had reached the city's main road and John silently examined the route ahead of them. Their journey South was finally about to come to an end, and for this he was secretly disappointed. It had taken them the better part of two weeks to get from Kaisume Dake to the island of Shikoku, and not a lot had happened in that time. Due to Akame's healing wounds from their encounter with Izanagi, John and the others had had to do most of the hunting and scouting themselves, which occasionally had led to bickering, but usually ended up just being more time they had to spend with each other. The day before they had reached the ocean and begun their long swim over, the Shepherd had finally gotten to spend a little time with Gin by himself, hunting with the Akita most of the day and talking about things as friends for once instead of as leaders. All in all, the experience had done him a world of good, and by the time the present day rolled around John could safely say that the only thing he was missing was some action. Now that they were in Musashi's territory though, he knew, that could easily change.

The champion fight dog had retired from the ring after the battle against Akakabuto had come to an end, and had supposedly settled instead for training other young fight dogs to be what he once had been. He certainly hadn't tired of battle though, John knew, as word had reached his ears that the Mastiff had also become the island's chief protector and boss dog since the deaths of Bill and Benizakura during the Ohu army's last 2 wars. Personally, John couldn't imagine retiring from fighting, as to him it was just too much fun, but he still respected his friend's decision. After all, ring fighting was a lot different than being on a true battlefield, and Musashi had been doing it for a long time. Either way, it would still be interesting to see how many fight dogs were left in Shikoku now that the best of them was gone, and John knew that the next few days would at the very least be interesting.

"…the hell are these things?" Chutora's voice sounded and the Shepherd snapped back to reality, his mind focusing once again on the world presently around him.

Glancing back at the older Kai dog, he followed his gaze and immediately saw a strange sight. Plastered on the fences of the buildings they were passing, photos of other dogs beamed at him one after another from multiple pieces of paper, the human markings above and below them meaning nothing to him but making him wary nonetheless.

"They're 'missing posters'." Smith said, answering Chutora's question. "The humans put them up sometimes when their pets disappear. I used to see them occasionally back when **I** was a pet."

"Are there usually this many of them?" Gin asked with a wary frown, passing a whole row of the flyers on the side of nearby building.

Smith shook his head.

"No." he said bluntly. "This is bizarre."

"Maybe Musashi can shed some light on them when we get there." Akame suggested and Gin nodded, snapping his gaze away from the posters and turning to his friends.

"Maybe." he replied, seemingly putting the new development out of his mind. "But before we get there, I want some fresh kills to present to Musashi and his friends. If we're his guests, the least we can do is be polite."

Kurotora snorted from his brother's side.

"Figures." he said with a smirk. "You're too nice, Gin, you know that?"

"So I've been told." the Akita replied good-naturedly. "But I still want that food."

The younger Kai dog shook his head and glanced around at the others, looking halfway between teasing and weary.

"So," he said sarcastically. "Whose turn is it?"

John grunted lightly and looked over at Gin.

"I'll go." he said and the Ohu leader looked his way. "I could use some exercise before we settle down with Musashi."

Gin looked pleased through his surprise and nodded gratefully at his co-leader.

"Thanks, John." he said, and then glanced around at his other friends. "Zach, why don't you go help him?"

The Malamute stretched himself at Akame's side.

"Can I not and say I did?" he asked and Gin gave him an unamused look.

"Only if I don't say 'That's an order'." he retorted and then paused, waiting a few seconds before adding: "And that's an order."

Zach grinned, and John heard Smith and the Kais laughing at the Akita's teasing.

"Fine," the Malamute conceded, padding up to John's side. "Let's do this fast."

The Shepherd snorted at him with a shake of his head and the two immediately broke away from the others, walking towards the tree line on the Eastern side of the city.

"Try not to slow me down." John said rudely and Zach's expression didn't change.

"Try not to be an ass."

"You really are an annoying bastard, you know that?"

"What can I say? You're a good teacher."

Gin sighed with a headshake of his own, meeting Akame's amused but sympathetic gaze moments later as the two dogs' bickering faded from earshot and Smith turned to Kurotora behind them.

"Two days hunting duty says Zach comes back with a welt on his face." he said and the Kai dog snorted.

"Pfft!" he said. "Three says they **both** do."

"You're on."

"Come on, guys." Gin said, turning back to their path. "Musashi should be waiting for us. Let's get going."

His packmates gave acknowledging grunts to this and soon the Ohu group had turned and started once more down the main road, disappearing around a curve in it moments later.

* * *

"How far in do you think we'll have to go?"

John growled in exasperation, seeing the outskirts of Tosa approaching rapidly. They hadn't even left the city yet and already his patience was being tried.

"Do you **ever** shut up?" he demanded with an annoyed glance, turning his eyes back to the road moments later.

Zach huffed in irritation.

"Geez." he replied. "Aren't **we** in a mood."

"Why don't you go hunt over **there**?"

"Cause it's too much fun annoying you."

John snorted, stretching himself slightly midstride.

"At least you're not being sullen anymore, I'll say that much for you." he said. "Still, I'd rather hunt with Gin."

Zach shot him a frown.

"When was I being sullen?" he asked skeptically.

"When we were passing Ibaraki on the way down here." the Shepherd replied immediately. "You're no fun when you're being a wuss."

The Malamute rolled his shoulders.

"Yeah?" he said. "Well forgive me for not wanting to face my brother again. Not that you would understand how it feels when a family member stabs you in the back."

John bit his tongue, forcing memories of his father to the back of his mind.

"You'd be surprised, kid."

Zach stopped walking and looked over at him.

"Would I?" he asked. "Try me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's none of your damn business, that's why." the Shepherd shot back caustically. "I haven't even told Gin, why the hell would I tell you?"

Zach shook his head with a humorless laugh.

"Boy," he said. "You get cranky when things don't go your way! Fine then, don't tell me. You're probably bluffing anyway."

"I'm about 2 seconds from throwing you through that wall." John growled, getting in his face.

Zach snorted, not looking the least bit afraid.

"Oh please." he said. "Your threats are as empty as your head."

"HELP ME!"

Both males shot to attention at once, forgetting their quarrel instantly.

"Who the hell?" John wondered aloud, looking around and seeing nothing.

"HELP ME, PLEASE!"

It had come from an alleyway 50 feet in front of them, and they both immediately ran towards it at full speed, nearly running into another dog as soon as they rounded the corner. Skidding to a halt, they both saw a female Shikoku-ken standing before them, panting frantically as she looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh, thank god!" she cried. "Please help me!"

"What is it?" John demanded. "What's wrong?"

She gestured back down the alleyway to a large open doorway at its far end, the sheer size of it suggesting some kind of warehouse or factory.

"My son got attacked by a group of dogs!" she said hysterically. "I couldn't fight them off and – Please come, they're killing him!"

With that, she turned and made a beeline for the entrance, not acknowledging either male as they yelled after her. Then Zach looked at his companion.

"John," he said. "I don't know – "

"Let's go!" the Shepherd demanded, cutting him off and immediately running after her, hearing the Malamute scramble to catch up to him shortly thereafter.

Moments later, they both ran into the lit doorway, looking around for the female as soon as they had.

"Ma'am!" John called. "Where are – "

Suddenly, pain the like of which John had never felt before hit him like a wave all at once. Every muscle in his body seized up and froze and the German Shepherd fell over onto his side twitching with a loud whine of agony. John clenched his eyes shut tightly. It felt like he was getting hit by lightning over and over again, and as soon as the pain seemed to almost subside, it would start up again anew.

"JOHN!" Zach's voice yelled in fear, and the Shepherd opened his eyes weakly in time to see at least 15 dogs attack the Malamute at once, their target doing an admirable job of avoiding the onslaught until another loud 'ZAP' was heard.

Then he too went rigid, falling over onto his side just as John had before him. From where he lay, John could do nothing, and moments later a human emerged from the shadows by the building's interior wall, a Taser in his hand and a grin on his face. At his side stood two more dogs, a brutal looking Rottweiler…and the female Shikoku-ken from the alleyway. On her face was an almost apologetic look and John immediately realized that she had known exactly what was going to happen all along. He growled angrily. They'd been tricked. Forcing himself to his paws with his remaining strength, the Shepherd saw Zach's attackers instantly rush at him, and he readied his fangs determinedly. As the first one lunged at him with a howl, John ducked his bite and slashed him hard across the throat, sending a jet of blood flying into the face of the next dog, who flopped to the ground unconscious after a head-butt between the eyes.

"Hey!" the human with the Taser whooped, shocking Zach again for good measure. "We've got ourselves a fighter, boys!"

Suddenly, the Rottweiler at his side ran forward as well and John was immediately bowled over onto his back, his strength returning too slowly to help him escape. Biting at his opponent desperately, John felt sharp fangs close on his neck with impressive force and all the air in his lungs left him at once, leaving him gasping for breath as he tried to twist himself free. After standing by and watching the two fight for a moment, the human yelled:

"Dante! Come!"

The Rottweiler immediately leapt off of John and darted back to his master's side, giving the German Shepherd one last kick in the face for good measure as he did. Then he turned and shot John a smug grin and the Ohu Commander tried again to get to his feet.

"Don't you…know who…you're dealing with…" he slurred angrily. "You – "

John didn't even get to finish his sentence. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground again with something standing on the side of his neck, his body too weak to throw it off. Turning his head as much as he could, John saw another human looming over him, his young face and beady eyes excited and confident as he looked down at his helpless catch. In his hand was a large baseball bat.

"Sorry, tough guy." he said in an almost mocking voice. "But it's lights out for you."

Then he raised the bat and brought it down on the top of John's head as hard as he could. The German Shepherd felt a new wave of pain hit him and lights popped before his eyes. On the second blow, the world went black.

* * *

"…hn…"

The first sensation that returned to John was smell, and as he slowly regained consciousness, dozens of scents hit him all at once, some foul and all foreign. Where was he?

"…ohn?..."

Whatever surface he was lying on was cold and felt artificial, but there was warmth pressed up against his side, and John wondered silently if its owner was friend or foe.

"John?"

His hearing and sight returned together a few seconds later, and while the latter was blurry and still correcting itself, the former seemed perfectly fine, and a familiar voice came to his ears immediately.

"John, wake up!"

"Uuuunnnnnnhhhhh…"

"Oh, thank god! I thought you'd died on me!"

"Zach?" John asked weakly, trying to sit up.

"Yeah, it's me." came the response, and John felt a paw push him gently back to the ground. "And stay down. You need to recover from that hit. You're lucky your head is so damn hard."

Shaking him off, John rolled into a normal laying position, raising his head a little as he looked around, his vision finally righting itself.

"Where are we?" he asked gruffly and Zach sat down beside him, looking left at something out of John's view.

"In a cage." the Malamute replied. "Other than that, I have no idea. The humans took us here by truck. That's about all I know."

John snorted.

"Well what the hell use are you then?" he teased, then allowed his gaze to soften, finally looking up at his friend. "Are you okay?"

Zach met his gaze, and John saw him nod with a reassuring smile, fresh cuts and scratches adorning his face, neck and chest.

"I'll never go out in a lightning storm again." he said sarcastically. "But yeah, I'll live."

"Good." John said, relieved that they had both survived the encounter.

"I see your friend's awake." came a new voice suddenly, and John immediately turned towards it in surprise. "He looks perfectly fine."

Standing before them was a large Canaan Dog, his face sporting an unreadable expression as his brown eyes scanned them warily. Numerous scars decorated his milky white form and though he seemed unafraid, his demeanor suggested suspicion, and he kept a few feet in between himself and them.

"**None** of us are gonna be 'perfectly fine' for long if we don't get the hell out of here!" Zach replied irritably. "Which might have already happened if you hadn't stopped me attacking that Rottweiler."

The Canaan narrowed his eyes slightly, and it was only then that John realized how young he was.

"If I hadn't stopped you," he said shortly. "Dante would've torn you apart. That dog's a fucking sadist. He'll take any excuse he can get to hurt you. And there's no way either one of you could've taken him on in the conditions you were in."

"And just who the hell are you?" John asked bluntly, looking the new dog from snout to tail.

The Canaan bowed his head slightly.

"My name's Thrinn." he said simply. "I'm kinda like the boss in here, at least among us prisoners. It's an honor to meet you."

John returned the nod slowly, trying to detect any sign of deceit in the other male's words. Finding none, he relented.

"Is that so?" he said. "Well then, the honor's all mine. Now where are we?"

Thrinn turned and gestured to his right, and John pushed himself slowly to a sitting position.

"If there's a paradise in Shikoku," he rumbled. "Then you're in the place it's furthest from. This is 'Limbo'."

"Limbo?" John asked skeptically, his eyebrow raised.

Thrinn snorted.

"That's what we all call it anyway." he said. "If you're looking for an actual location though, then I can't help you. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Why do you call it 'Limbo'?" Zach asked, and Thrinn turned to look at him.

"Because if you don't earn your way out of here, you die." he replied, then frowned slightly. "What are your names, by the way? I never asked."

John started to respond to the question but suddenly Zach cut him off, giving the other dog a fake smile as he did so.

"I'm Riley." he said. "This is my friend James. We were passing through Tosa when we were taken."

Thrinn nodded.

"Weren't we all?" he said and then turned away from them with a snort, glancing back over his shoulder as he did. "Well, try not to draw attention to yourself and stay away from the bars. I'll be back in a minute to tell you what you need to know."

Then he turned and disappeared into a crowd of dogs amassing to their right, and John finally realized that they were not at all alone in their newfound captivity. As soon as Thrinn was gone, the Shepherd turned to Zach.

"I assume you have a reason for doing what you just did." he said seriously and the Malamute looked at him.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Self-preservation. Something seriously bad is going on here, John. You didn't see some of the shit I saw coming in. I have a feeling that if any of these dogs find out who we really are, we'll be in deep trouble."

John snorted softly.

"Lucky for you I think you're right." he said and turned to look at where Thrinn had disappeared to. "Did you find out anything about the bastards that brought us here?"

"No." Zach said with a shake of his head. "And honestly I don't really care. Right now I just want to get back to Gin and the others."

John nodded.

"You read my mind, kid." he agreed and finally looked at their surroundings, taking it all in with a steadily increasing sense of dread.

They were indeed in a cage, he saw, and a big one. The massive barred cell they were in seemed to stretch from one far wall to the other, and encompassed nearly half of the even larger room in was located in. The floor beneath them varied between cold steel and wet dirt, and continued all the way past a huge set of swinging wooden doors on their left that led somewhere unknown. On the wall in front of them was an imposing metal rack that housed muzzles, chains, and weapons of all sorts, and to its right was another set of doors. This second pair was especially unsettling to John, as it was locked with 3 separate deadbolts and appeared to be electrified, demonstrating clearly that whoever their captors were, they didn't want anyone getting in there…or getting out. Turning his gaze away from it, John looked at their cellmates. There were at least 30 other dogs with them, he saw, and growled under his breath as he recognized a number of them from the "missing" posters in Tosa, now actual flesh and blood instead of just a picture with a face. Right as he finished looking over them, Thrinn emerged from their center.

"All right," he said in a deadly serious tone. "Listen carefully, cause I might only get to say this once. You were brought here because they want you to fight. The humans, that is. They brought you here to battle."

"Fight who?" John asked and the Canaan Dog looked at him with a sigh.

"Us." he said and the Shepherd's eyes widened in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Zach said.

"The dog fighting championships in Tosa were cancelled this year." Thrinn replied. "The real ones that is, in the arena. Our local champion Musashi stepped down from the ring and they couldn't get enough dogs to replace him so they cancelled the championship altogether. About a week later, these bastards started kidnapping us off the street to have a championship of their own. The only difference is…these fights are to the death. They're not controlled like they are in town. These psychos want blood, and a lot of it."

"So stand up to them!" John said crossly. "Join together and fight against them!"

"We can't." the Canaan Dog said. "There are too many humans and they all have guns. We have no choice and neither do you. All you can do is hope they don't make you fight each other. One way or another though…you have to fight."

"Why?" Zach said, and Thrinn gestured to the locked set of doors.

"Cause if you don't, you're taken to 'The Labs'." he said in a subdued voice. "In the ring, you at least have a **chance** to survive if you're tough. But in there… No one who goes through those doors comes out alive. You fight…or you die."

John tensed up considerably at those words, his every sense on high alert as the full gravity of their situation finally hit him. He looked at Thrinn.

"Why are those dogs helping them do this?" he asked angrily. "What do they get out of it?"

"The satisfaction of watching you suffer." came a smug, high-pitched voice and the Shepherd whipped his gaze towards it, hearing both Zach and Thrinn do the same beside him.

Standing just outside the cage bars was the Rottweiler from before, a toothy grin on his face, and his cruel eyes were fixed right on the group of them. Flanking him on either side were two large mix breeds who looked disgusted by the prisoners in front of them, as if they didn't even consider them fellow dogs. Around him, John heard numerous other prisoners retreat quickly to the back of the cage away from them, and he stood his ground defiantly as Thrinn whispered:

"Don't talk back to them. It'll make things a hundred times worse, believe me."

The Rottweiler smirked.

"Smart boy." he taunted and then looked around at the others in the cage. "To those of you maggots who don't know, my name is Dante. The reason you're here is for a great purpose…to entertain us. You see, our masters are very smart humans. They know that it's the right of every leader to use his subordinates for his own entertainment. And since all your lives now belong to us…you **will** entertain us. You will march through these doors into our arena and you will shed each other's when told…without question. If you don't, I can and will make your lives a living hell."

To John's right, a young greyhound inched up to the cage bars.

"Please," he begged. "Let us go! My brother is sick! He needs help!"

Dante tilted his head and leaned in.

"What was that?" he asked. "Sorry, I didn't quite hear that. Come a little closer and say it again."

The greyhound cautiously stepped closer to him.

"I said my – "

Suddenly, before John could yell at him to get back, Dante shot his muzzle through the bars and grabbed the young dog by the throat, ripping it out with a sickening tearing noise moments later. Screams and shouts erupted from all around the cage as the greyhound's body immediately slumped to the ground lifeless, and John snarled as Dante stepped back with a smirk.

"You fucking coward!" he yelled, hearing someone sobbing "Brother!" off to his right. "That kid was no threat to you!"

Dante's head swiveled his way and his eyes narrowed on the Shepherd.

"Ah, the new boys…" he chuckled, his supercilious grin making John want to rip his face off. "You haven't been through this before so I'll let you off the hook this time. However…"

He walked right up to the bars and John did as well, feeling the eyes of everyone else there on him as their murderous gazes bore into each other furiously.

"…call me out again and I'll see to it that more innocent people die." the Rottweiler finished. "Right in front of you."

Then he suddenly spit in the Shepherd's face and John stepped back in shocked disgust, launching himself at the bars with a roar of fury moments later, trying to bite and claw at the Rottweiler through the openings. Dante and his subordinates laughed mockingly at him as they stepped back towards the opposing wall and John felt Zach restraining him forcefully as he tried to get at them.

"Stop!" the Malamute hissed. "You can't get to him! It's not worth it anyway!"

"Get **off** me!" John snarled, throwing him off by force moments later and sending him stumbling sideways into another dog.

Dante smirked again.

"At least one of you is smart enough to know his place." he said and Zach immediately shot him a withering glare, righting himself as he did.

"You misunderstand me." he replied scathingly. "I meant it's not worth it because **you're** not worth it. You're as sad and pathetic as your entire inbred family. Why should he stoop so low as to waste his time with **you**?"

Dante stopped laughing instantly and stepped forward with a furious growl as John looked over at his friend in surprise, secretly delighted by the other male's bluntness.

"Say that again!" the Rottweiler threatened with a deadly glare. "Say it to my fucking face you motherfu– "

Suddenly a series of clicks sounded and the locked doors swung open with a 'BANG', two humans walking out at a brisk pace moments later, making all the dogs in the room turn to look at them, and in some cases, scurry out of their line of sight. One of the humans, John could see, was a tall man wearing gloves and carrying a large plastic bag in one hand. The other was shorter with glasses and a white lab coat, a recorder of some kind in his hand as he followed the taller one.

"Dump it into the ocean with the others." he told him in an unconcerned, professional sounding voice. "We'll just have to start over."

"Damn thing's heavy!" the tall man complained, but the man in the white coat ignored him.

Instead, he began speaking into his recorder.

"Personal log," he said. "Dr. Okinawa. September 14, 2002 – "

Suddenly, the plastic bag ripped with a loud tearing noise and John watched in horror as a dismembered dog's body spilled out onto the floor, its decapitated head rolling over to the edge of the cage before coming to rest.

"God damn it." the tall man said, then turned around exasperatedly. "I'll get another bag."

"Hurry up." the man in the white coat ordered, turning back to his recorder as soon as he had. "Progress report number 5. Test subject 116: Deceased."

Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared back through the doors, closing them behind him as he walked. John swallowed hard, willing himself silently not to show fear as Dante and his subordinates shot them one last glare and then followed in the human's wake, slipping through a crack in the door as the tall man reemerged holding a new bag. To his right, Thrinn panned his gaze back to them, and the Shepherd could see both anger and fear in his eyes as he fixed them with a serious look.

"I hope you'll heed my words now," he said quietly. "Because what you just saw is the price of defiance."

Then he turned away, looking back one last time before he was gone.

"Sleep close together." he said. "Rest your heads on each others' backs. If you sleep alone…they'll take you during the night."

Once he was satisfied that they had gotten the message, he quickly padded away, both John and Zach looked after him as he did. Neither was willing yet to meet the other's gaze as they stood in silence and soon all lights in the room went off, bathing the world in darkness. Behind him, John heard Zach give a ragged sigh.

"Oh crap." the Malamute breathed, an almost unnoticeable quaver in his voice that only John detected.

'You're telling me, kid.' the Shepherd thought. 'You're telling me.'

* * *

Gin paced back and forth on the building's outer wall, looking occasionally towards the forest with a worried face, his every sense on high alert. Below him in the courtyard, Musashi, Akame, and Smith stood together talking, their voices just barely audible to the Akita, and though he couldn't make out what they were saying for the life of him, he could tell that they were concerned as well. It had been over a day since John and Zach had failed to return from their hunt, and though at first Gin had not been worried, it soon became apparent that something was wrong, and he had taken his fears immediately to Musashi, who knew the area better than he did. The Mastiff had been happy to see them all upon their arrival, and seemed to be in a better state of mind than any of the Ohu group had expected, especially given his recent retirement from the sport he'd known all his life. In fact, to him, fighting was a **way** of life, and Gin had immediately seen similarities between the muscular brown male and the missing John as the former taught his students various techniques to use against each other in the ring. After Gin had come to him anxious though, Musashi had told him something very disquieting about the rest of Tosa, something that only increased the Akita's concern a hundredfold.

"Dogs have been disappearing around here." the Mastiff had said gravely. "And we don't know why. It's bad enough the humans cancelled the championships this year, and now **this** happens."

"And no one knows where they're going?" Kurotora had asked uneasily and Musashi shook his large head.

"No." he replied. "And we've tried to find out. I've staked out the borders of the city myself. Nothing. No one sees them or hears from them again. It's like they're vanishing into thin air."

"Gin, this is bad." Smith had said nervously. "If John and Zach aren't back by now, whatever happened to these dogs might have happened to them too."

"Yeah," Chutora nodded in agreement. "Especially with their bickering. They might have attracted the attention of something dangerous."

Gin nodded as well, trying to remain calm and in control.

"Even if they haven't." he ordered. "We have to find them soon, before something **does** happen to them."

"Gin," Musashi had jumped in. "I'm afraid I can't let you go. You're going to need to stay here. All of you. At least until we know it's safe in the city."

"We can't just sit – " Kurotora had started but Musashi looked at him too.

"I'll send out the fight dogs." he said. "They know this place well. Once we ask around a little, if we still find nothing, then you can join us. Until then though, your safety is my top priority. Please understand."

Then, without waiting for an answer, he had turned and implemented his plan, leaving Gin feeling slightly irritated and left out. He sighed atop the wall. He had never been good at just sitting and waiting, and now that something may have happened to his best friend, he was more anxious than he had been in a long time, especially since Musashi's search had thus far turned up nothing useful at all. Hearing footsteps behind him, Gin glanced over his shoulder and saw Chutora standing there, looking at him with a concerned expression.

"You okay, Gin?" he asked.

The Akita turned back to the city.

"Where the hell are they, Chutora?" he asked. "This isn't like either one of them."

"They're tough, leader." the Kai dog replied. "Wherever they are, they'll be fine."

Gin sighed.

"I hope so." he said, frowning slightly in worry. "**I'm** the one who sent them out there. If anything happens to them, it's my fault."

"Gin," Chutora said in exasperation. "Don't do that to yourself. There's no way you could've known this would happen."

"I'm their leader, Chutora." the Akita said, glancing over at him. "It doesn't matter. Anything that happens falls on me."

The Kai dog sat down beside him.

"Have faith, Gin." he said. "They'll be all right. I know it."

Gin smiled slightly, though it was forced.

"I wish I had your confidence." he said. "But thanks."

"Is it John who's worrying you?"

"It's both of them." Gin said, scanning the forest in the distance with his studying gaze. "I always worry about John and his temper, that one day he'll start a fight he can't win. He's one of the strongest males I've ever known, and he's my best friend, but you know as well as I do that he's not the most patient dog in the world. That worries me. It also reminds me of someone else, too."

"Zach?" Chutora grinned and Gin nodded with a smile.

"Zach." he affirmed and let the smile slide off his muzzle. "Those two are more alike than they realize. That's why they're constantly bickering. It's like every time they're put together they both realize how annoying they themselves can be to live with…and that in turn annoys them."

Chutora laughed, glancing over his shoulder at where the others were still talking.

"Sounds about right, leader." he said, licking his fangs.

Gin nodded courteously.

"Still," he said, worry returning to his face. "If anything happens to them I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Relax, Gin." Chutora said, glancing at him briefly before turning his gaze back to the city as well. "No one's going anywhere. Not John, not Zach, and not the others. We all plan on sticking around for a good long while…even me."

Gin smirked and was about to respond when he heard a voice call his name from behind. Turning towards it in mild surprise, he saw Akame looking up at him from the courtyard below.

"Gin," he said. "Still nothing from the city. Musashi's agreed to let us go out and help look."

"Good." Gin said with a determined nod. "Cause I was about to go anyway."

Akame smiled knowingly and Gin met his gaze seriously.

"Get everyone ready to go." he ordered. "Let's start searching."

The Kishu nodded and sprang away to tell the others, leaving Gin and Chutora alone once more on the wall where they sat. Finally, Gin stood, the breeze blowing through his fur as he did. It was nearly morning. He looked out at the city of Tosa firmly.

'We're coming John,' he thought. 'Zach. Wherever you are, please stay safe… we're coming…'

* * *

Kohei pushed the second door open as the first one closed behind him, feeling his dog Dante trailing closely on his heels as he strode into the laboratory wing of the abandoned complex. Taking another cigarette out of his front pocket, he stuffed it between his teeth and lit it casually as a table came into view in front of him, positioned carefully beside a pair of swinging doors that led into a sterilized morgue of a room, where most of the actual action took place. Standing at the foot of the table was the scientist who ran it, his thick, wire-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose as he scribbled notes furiously in a leather bound notebook, listening to his own voice on a tape recorder as he did. Kohei exhaled a puff of smoke into the air.

'Well, well…' he thought. 'Dr. Okinawa in the flesh. That's twice in one day. It **must** be a busy week.'

The older man didn't seem to notice him, but Kohei honestly didn't care. As far as he and the others were concerned, the good doctor was a complete basket case. There was little they could do, however, when Okinawa was the one supplying them with a location to stage their dogfights. At any rate though, the small, grey-haired man gave him the creeps.

"Is there something I can do for you, Kohei?"

The younger man looked up in mild surprise, looking at Dr. Okinawa's face even though the elder man had not looked up from his scribbling.

"Just seeing what you're up to, doc." Kohei said. "I always get a good sci-fi story every time I come over here, so…"

"Yes, I'll bet you do." the elder man said, switching off the tape recorder and shoving his pen into the pocket of his white lab coat, which he always wore. "I hear you're having another fight soon."

"Tonight." Kohei responded, blowing more smoke. "Just figuring out the dogs. You coming?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the time."

"What?" the younger man scoffed, not bothering to hide his distain. "More experiments? I swear, doc, if you actually tried fighting these beasts like the rest of us you'd actually make some money for a change. What the hell have you gotten out of this shit except more grey hair?"

Dr. Okinawa stood up straight and looked at him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Pocket change." he said in a calm voice. "That's what you all scam out of each other right now. When this is done though…my work…I'll make 20 times that in one night."

"The loony bin's callin' doc." Kohei said, rubbing Dante behind the ears. "They say you missed your daily meds."

"Can you even imagine how much people would pay for a dog that doesn't feel pain?" the elder man asked seriously. "Ones that are born that way are exceedingly rare, but if a dog can actually be conditioned to not feel pain, imagine the possibilities. You'd make a fortune in the fighting arena, especially in Tosa."

Kohei raised an eyebrow.

"And you expect to make these mongrels not feel pain by…torturing them?" he said sarcastically. "Yeah, **that** makes sense."

"It all depends on the dog, Kohei." Okinawa replied, not fazed in the slightest. "Some can take the conditioning and others can't. Thus far, I'm still looking for the right one, a dog that possesses certain traits that others…lack."

He looked down at Dante when he said this and the Rottweiler growled warningly at him from his master's side, baring his teeth as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. Kohei rested a hand on the nape of the dog's neck.

"Don't even think about it, doc." he said. "This here's my ace in the hole. He's taking on whichever one of those mutts we kidnapped survives the fights. Sort of a championship round. The last thing I need is to lose my money by having you tear him to pieces."

Okinawa cleaned his glasses, turning back to the table and putting on a set of surgeon's gloves.

"Don't worry, boy." he said. "He's not good enough."

Then he turned to the lab doors.

"I'll be out in a few minutes to select another test subject." he said over his shoulder, no longer looking at the other man. "Make sure one's ready for me."

Then he disappeared into the laboratories and out of sight. Kohei spit his cigarette onto the ground, snuffing it out with his boot as soon as he had.

"Fucking nutjob." he snorted.

Then he turned and walked towards the holding room, grabbing the keys as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, intending to remove the lock from the cage door before heading out for another smoke. Inside the smaller middle room, Dante watched him go, clenching his teeth tightly as he stared at the darkened walls around him. The proximity to the labs unnerved him slightly, but as much as the man in the white coat scared him, he also awed him. No one could cause pain like he did, the black furred dog knew, and he loved to listen to the screams and howls of the human's victims from outside the doorway with his fellow guards, listening to the whir and hum of the tools from inside and trying to identify what they were by sound alone. He smirked as he remembered the man's words.

'I wonder which one he'll select?' he thought brutally. 'Maybe I'll get to see the corpse before those humans dispose of it.'

He stretched himself, suddenly hoping with a grin that it was one of the two new dogs who would be taken, and that thought sent cheerfully violent daydreams surging through his head…at least until a voice broke his concentration.

"Dante," it said. "I quit. I'm done."

He rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

'I swear,' he thought. 'When I'm the leader of Shikoku, the first rule I'm gonna make is that females only speak when **spoken** to.'

Turning around, he saw the Shikoku-ken standing before him, a darkly determined look on her face.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Kana." he said in his gruff voice. "And more importantly, so is your little brother."

She stormed up to him angrily.

"I have done **everything** you've asked of me and more!" she hissed at him, snapping her teeth together mere inches from his nose. "These dogs have done **nothing** to you, Dante! I'm through luring them here for you to hurt!"

"Do you know what they **do** behind those doors, Kana?" the Rottweiler drawled, looking her right in the eye like a predator eyeing his prey. "I've heard grown males sobbing and howling like newborns when that human brings the needles out."

She cringed slightly, her ears reversing as she remembered the horrible noises. Seeing this, Dante leaned in.

"Imagine then how it would be for a pup." he said. "And all the terrible things they would do."

Then suddenly, he lunged and grabbed her by the throat before she could respond, pinning her to the wall moments later by it as hard as he could.

"You listen to me, you self righteous little bitch," he growled, still looking her in the eye as her hind legs kicked at him furiously and she gasped for air. "You're gonna do exactly what I tell you to, or your brother is going straight to those labs first thing in the morning. You got that? Blink if you understand."

She closed her eyes slowly, straining herself and looking furious as she did. When they reopened again moments later, Dante kept his gaze fixed on hers.

"You belong to me now." he said with a smug grin. "You're **mine**. If you keep saying otherwise, things will get very, **very** ugly. Now get the fuck outta my sight!"

Turning, he threw her as hard as he could at the opposite wall, hearing her hit it with a wood-splintering 'CRASH' and then slump to the ground at its base when she had come to rest. Glaring death at him, Kana got to her paws shakily.

"I'll kill you." she threatened. "One day, Dante…I'll kill you."

Then she turned and walked away and the Rottweiler smirked after her, eying her backside hungrily as she limped around a corner and was gone. No sooner had she disappeared though than Desoto, one of his subordinates, strode purposefully into the room.

"What do **you** want?" he asked bluntly. "More leeway to hurt the prisoners? 'Cause if that's the case then I can happily oblige."

Desoto shook his head, looking strangely excited to the Rottweiler.

"No, Boss." he said. "We just got some news from town. Gin of Ohu's been spotted in Tosa."

Dante stopped dead. Turning, he looked at the other male.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

"I said Gin of Ohu's in Tosa." Desoto repeated, looking him in the eye. "And he's not alone. His entire upper echelon is there too. Musashi seems to have called them in."

"I thought Musashi was gone!" Dante demanded with a growl. "And why the hell is Gin all the way down here in Shikoku?"

"They seem to be looking for someone, Boss." Desoto grinned. "One of Gin's top commanders by the look of it…and you're never gonna guess where our sources think he is…or who."

Dante licked his chops, a bloodthirsty grin of his own spreading over his muzzle as the other male leaned in and whispered the answer. Moments later, he glanced at the door that led to where their captives were being held.

"No shit." he said, chuckling delightedly. "Well now…"

Then he pushed past Desoto and started walking to the door, the other male following him as he did.

"Where are you going, Boss?" Desoto asked and Dante grinned at him lethally.

"We've got a genuine Ohu commander in our cell, Desoto." he said in a mock sweet voice. "The least I can do is say 'hi'."

Then he kept walking and moved towards the doorway once more, the smirk on his face widening as he did. Desoto followed him and they disappeared through it quickly, not turning back once as it swung shut behind them.

* * *

John rolled his eyes with a growl, his exasperation growing with every new minute he had to spend in the cage.

"We need to band together and attack!" he said fiercely, facing his fellow prisoners. "If we're gonna die fighting, we might as well die fighting for our freedom!"

"It's suicide." Thrinn replied with a shake of his head. "Waiting it all out is the only – "

"Waiting it out?" John scoffed incredulously. "All that'll come of that is sitting here until we're dragged through those doors and shot! At least if we attack we have a chance! Don't be a coward!"

"Don't you **dare** call me a coward!" Thrinn threatened, baring his teeth at the other male. "We all know more about this than you do."

"Yeah, pal!" another irritated voice demanded. "Don't go around acting like you know better!"

It took all the willpower John possessed not to tell them who he was. After barely sleeping the previous night for fear of what might happen, the Shepherd's head wound had begun to act up again, and the pain combined with inaction had made him very testy. The fact that this argument had resurfaced again didn't help matters and he was beginning to lose patience with everyone around him. He glared at the crowd of dogs.

"I have fought in wars before," he said, trying to calm himself slightly. "I know what I'm talking about. Just sitting here is the worst thing we can do! Zach, back me up here!"

The Malamute glanced at him for a second, but then looked away.

"Where would we go, John?" he asked in a solemn voice. "Getting out of this cage is easy enough, especially now that that human unlocked it, but where the hell would we go after that? All those doors are locked…and that's not even mentioning the fact that we don't know where we are. We need a plan."

The Shepherd growled at him.

"What, **you** too?" he said incredulously. "What happened to your pride, all of you? If we don't act, then – "

Suddenly, his head wound flared up again and John winced hard, collapsing onto his stomach moments later with a paw between his ears. Zach walked up to him immediately.

"You know me better than that." he said in a mildly irritated voice. "But I know that you're smart enough to know we can't just rush out without a plan. I agree with what you're saying…but not yet."

"What I know," John hissed rudely, clutching at his head. "Is that I'm apparently the only one with the balls to **do** anything around here! If I knew you were gonna be **this** useless, I would've had Gin leave you in Ibaraki where you belong!"

Zach shook his head, not looking hugely offended by his friend's assertion.

"It's a wonder you're not surrounded by friends." he said sarcastically. "What with that charming personality of yours."

John glared death at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Zach," he threatened. "I swear to god, I'm gonna bite you on the– "

"Wait!" Thrinn suddenly cut him off, looking suddenly suspicious. "**Zach**? I thought you said your name was 'Riley'!"

John's eyes widened as he realized his mistake, and he mentally kicked himself for making such a stupid error. Before anyone could say another word though, the door with the two locks on it swung open with a 'BANG' and Dante entered the room, tailed by two huge subordinates as he passed the threshold. The whole place immediately went silent and dogs backed away from the cage bars quickly as the Rottweiler sauntered up, a furious but triumphant look on his face that made John very nervous. The guard dog panned his gaze left to right silently, the two subordinates standing at the ready just behind him, looking positively bloodthirsty in their demeanor. Then Dante smirked.

"So which one of you is it?" he asked, his voice eerily calm. "Which one of you is John of Ohu?"

John froze where he lay, his whole body tensing up instantly. How the hell had he been found out? Around him, no one said a word, and Dante took a step forward.

"Don't wanna talk, John?" he spat. "You fucking coward. Let's try again. Which one of you…is it?"

Again there was silence around the room and Dante walked up to the cage bars.

"Jooooohhnnny…" he said in a thoroughly mocking sing-song voice. "Why don't you come out and plaaaaaaaaay?"

Then he cracked his neck.

"Or else I'll have to kill every last dog in here 'til I find you." he finished malevolently.

John felt his blood boil. Despite the great pain and weakness still shooting through him, it took all the effort he possessed not to dart up and attack the Rottweiler on the spot. Still, John was no fool. He knew that if he got caught in his condition, he would probably not survive whatever hell the evil dog and his henchmen would deal out. He gritted his fangs.

'Shit!' he thought. 'What the hell do I do? I can't die here! I need to get back to Gin and the others!'

Dante nodded from where he stood with a little shrug.

"OK." he said. "Have it your way."

Then suddenly, he reached through the bars of the cage and grabbed a young Borzoi by the throat before anyone could react, much as he had done the first time John had seen him after their initial fight. And just like then, with one hard jerk of the Rottweiler's head the young dog's life came to an end, blood spurting everywhere he fell over onto his side, twitching and convulsing in his final death throes. John inhaled sharply and there was a chorus of whimpers and yells around the room as Dante licked the blood off his fangs and backed up a few steps, still looking angry.

"You mutts have 5 seconds to tell me which one of you is John or I will slaughter everyone in this room. 1…2…3…"

John sighed deeply. There was no other choice now. He started to stand shakily when suddenly – "

"I'm John."

The Shepherd grunted softly in surprise and looked towards the voice that had spoken. Standing beside him, looking equally as determined as he was, was Zach. The Malamute glared at Dante and took a step forward.

"I'm John." he repeated. "If you deal with anyone, you deal with me."

John forced himself to his feet with a growl.

"Zach," he said loudly. "What the hell are you **doing**?"

Then he looked at Dante as well.

"I'm John of – "

"Zach, you don't have to protect me from this bastard." Zach said, cutting him off. "Let me handle this."

John was momentarily speechless. He glared at his friend.

"What?" he snapped. "You idiot! What are you thinking – "

Zach ignored him and started to walk forward towards the cage door, but John immediately reached out and grabbed him by the neck.

"Zach," he growled in a dead serious tone. "Don't you **dare** go out there for me!"

The Malamute turned and looked at him for a moment without saying a word. Then he gave his friend a small smile, unseen by anyone but the two of them.

"Goodbye, John." he whispered.

Then he turned and jerked out of the Shepherd's grasp, walking calmly the rest of the way to the cage door seconds later. Dante looked at his subordinates and growled.

"Take him!" he hissed, yanking the door open with his jaws, and John struggled mightily to force his legs to work right, watching as the Rottweiler's two huge subordinates grabbed Zach by the neck hard, dragging him along between them as soon as they had.

"Zach!" John shouted hoarsely, finally leaping up to the bars. "God damn it, I'm John! I'M JOHN!"

Dante didn't listen to him at all and Zach grinned back at the Shepherd as he was being dragged away.

"Do me a favor, Zach," he said, meeting John's gaze. "Tell Gin…tell the others…it was an honor."

"Zach, don't do this!" John begged, looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Please…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Dante snarled, snapping at the bars as the door with the locks swung open a second time.

Out of it walked the man in the white coat and he looked upon the scene with a completely uninterested expression, as if he'd seen it a hundred times before.

"Hmm…" he said, looking at Zach. "You must be the one Kohei left for me. You look promising enough."

He reached out and grabbed the Malamute by the scruff of the neck with a vice-like grip, locking the cage door behind him as he turned. Then he dragged him back through the doorway and closed that door behind him as well, Dante and his troops following in his wake as he did. Moments later, they were out of sight. Back in the cage, John stared at the door in horror as the room around him became eerily silent, feeling the eyes of Thrinn and the other prisoners boring into him as he stood motionless by the bars. That, however, was all he could do. Zach was gone.

* * *

Kana hid herself back in the shadows as she listened, her sensitive ears picking up every subtle movement that went on around her. In the large arena area of the complex, she could hear the humans setting up for the fights that would happen later that night, getting things ready for when groups of cheering men could watch two dogs rip each other to shreds for entertainment. Even the thought made her sick. She was no stranger to violence, having had to shed more than a little blood to protect her brother while they travelled down to Shikoku to start a new life together, but the way these humans and their dogs relished in it disgusted her. That, however, was just the arena. The laboratory at the other end of the complex was a different story altogether. It was a thousand times worse.

She had never been in there personally, but she had heard the screams and howls from behind its doors many times now, and she was getting tired of doing nothing to help. That's where she was now, staring at those doors and wondering if her brother was somewhere back in there. She had just seen Dante and that human in the white coat drag another dog through the swinging doors and disappear from her view, and though Dante had emerged moments later with a delighted, smug look on his face, Kana knew that what was about to take place in there would be anything but pleasant. Seeing Dante walk away, she inched closer to the door and leapt up on a wooden table near it, straining her neck as she looked inside through a window. Her breath immediately caught in her throat. The Malamute she had helped lure there lay strapped to a metal table in the center of the room, his mobility pretty much gone as the white-coated human bustled around at the counters and tables surrounding him. Kana gripped the table hard with her claws.

'So this is John of Ohu?' she wondered aloud. 'He doesn't look at all like I pictured him.'

She suspected that the famous Ohu warrior had turned himself in to protect his friend in the cage, and she knew that he wouldn't last very long inside that laboratory if something wasn't done. No one ever did. Kana reversed her ears. She couldn't go against Dante, she couldn't. Her brother would die. Still…this dog had helped defeat Akakabuto, and was a genuine hero among dogs. Not only that, he seemed like a decent person, which in her experience was a rarity for males to say the least. Could she really sit there and just let him die? She had heard too many deaths already, had caused too many. Suddenly, there was a voice from within the lab and she snapped out of her thoughts, listening with bated breath.

"Personal log: Dr. Okinawa." the voice said, and she realized that the human was talking into his tape recorder. "September 15th, 2002. Test subject number 117, report number 1. Subject is an Alaskan Malamute, male, approximately 3-4 years of age."

He put the recorder down on a tabletop. Then he picked up a hypodermic syringe from nearby and flicked it, making sure the yellowish liquid inside came out of the needlepoint. This done, he leaned over and injected the Malamute in the shoulder, tossing the syringe back on the counter as soon as he was done.

"Administering 1 CC of Quinuclidinyl Benzilate for conditioning test number 1." the human said in an emotionless voice. "Compound amplifies pain receptors in the muscles and makes even the slightest pinprick feel as though you're being stabbed."

Then Kana saw him take a power drill off of another table and move over to the Malamute, pushing his glasses back up his nose. She heard the dog growl at him, and he ran a hand lightly through its neck fur.

"Don't worry." the man in the white coat said to the Malamute. "The pain is for a purpose. You and I are gonna make history, I know it. And once we're done, your pain will be gone entirely."

Then she heard the drill begin to whir menacingly and the human smiled.

"Here's to history." he said.

Kana clenched her eyes shut and looked away as quickly as she could, trying not to listen as a horrible screaming began sounding from within the laboratory moments later. She trembled, collapsing partially against the wall as tears streamed down her face. This was her fault… All this was her fault. This couldn't be allowed to continue. Taking a deep breath, Kana made up her mind. Someone had to know what was happening in this place, and she knew who to tell. Standing up straight and clenching her jaw determinedly, Kana slunk quietly to the other side of the room, and disappeared out the door.

* * *

John paced back and forth in his cage furiously, glancing over at the doorway where Zach had been taken and occasionally letting loose a deep throated growl under his breath. He felt like an idiot. As a leader of Ohu, it was his job to be leading the fight against their enemies, not letting other people take punishment intended for him. It was bad enough that **anyone** had to suffer that fate, but a friend of his no less… Some leader he was. Everyone had heard Zach's howl of agony from behind the walls, and though it had been faint, John had instantly been able to tell what it was. This had resulted in him launching himself at the bars of the cage in desperation, trying to use his considerable strength and size to break them in any way he could so he could rescue his comrade and get the hell out of there. Unfortunately, he had had no such luck, and had been left with little else but a bruised shoulder and bloodied forehead. Suddenly, he nearly ran into someone, and saw Thrinn standing in his path when he looked up in irritation.

"What the hell do **you** want?" he snapped, unconcerned with being cordial.

Thrinn didn't seem to mind his rudeness, and instead looked almost awed.

"Are you really…John of Ohu?" the Canaan Dog asked. "Was what you said true?"

"Of course I am!" John replied impatiently. "Not that that means shit right now!"

Thrinn looked down at the ground, his expression suggesting he was trying to process the sudden surprise.

"Wow…" he muttered. "Okay, um… Look, you need to calm down before the humans hear you and come back in here."

John looked him in the eye defiantly.

"Let 'em!" he barked. "Maybe then they'll open that door and we'll have a chance to attack!"

"If they open that door, they're gonna shock you and take you to the arena to fight." Thrinn replied. "And that won't help your friend one bit. Our best option is to lay low."

John turned on the other dog angrily, getting in his face before he could stop himself.

"When are you mongrels gonna grow a backbone and fight for your lives?" he demanded. "Huh? Cause the fact that you're still in here tells me that laying low isn't doing much for you right now."

"And your strategy will, will it?" Thrinn said sarcastically, wrinkling his muzzle in irritation.

John looked him up and down.

"It's better than just sitting here." he said, and before Thrinn could reply the arena door swung open and in walked Dante and two humans, one of which had a muzzle and a leash.

The moment John saw this, he forgot about Thrinn and stormed up to the bars with a furious snarl.

"**You**!" he spat, glaring straight at Dante with his teeth bared. "Get in here and fight like a real male! Stop hiding behind those humans!"

Dante smirked.

"Or what?" he grinned. "You'll curse me to death? Careful, Zach…we wouldn't want to end up like dear John, would we?"

"I **am** John, you stupid prick!" the Shepherd snarled. "And if you hurt one more hair on his head I swear to god I'll break you in half!"

"Sure you will." Dante scoffed, but then one of the humans' laughter cut them both off.

"Hey, check this one out Kohei!" he said, gesturing to John. "It's that dog from earlier! He's got some fight left in him!"

The other human followed his gaze and nodded, chomping down on his cigarette.

"Good." he said. "Let's take him for the match. I'll shock him, you get the muzzle on."

"Maybe we should let him and Dante fight it out." the first human said. "They seem to want to as it is."

"If he lives long enough," Kohei said, "Sure. Until then though, just let 'em bark 'til they're blue in the face. Get out of here! Go!"

The last words had been spoken to Dante, who turned and shot another smug grin at John before disappearing back through the door. John followed him with his gaze, feeling the hackles on the back of his neck standing straight up in anger. Suddenly, pain shot through him and his muscles seized up just like before, making him fall over onto his side moments later helplessly. Letting out a yelp of pain despite himself, John felt a strong hand yank him through the suddenly open cell door before he could recover from the Taser shock. Then a muzzle was shoved over his nose and mouth and John immediately tried to fight off his captors, thrashing left and right in an unsuccessful attempt to throw them off.

"Take these two to the arena." Kohei said, and John watched as another dog from his cell was also dragged out. "Everybody's already waiting."

"Got it." the first human said, and John felt himself getting dragged forcefully towards the doorway.

Glancing back, he looked right at Thrinn.

"When I come back," he said. "You better figure out where your priorities lie. And what kind of male you want to be."

Thrinn snorted humorlessly.

"**If** you come back." he said.

John narrowed his gaze determinedly.

"I'm John of Ohu, pal." he said. "I don't lose. **Ever**."

Then the doors shut between them and John found himself in a much larger room, a makeshift arena made out of what looked like an old warehouse storage area. Around the center fight ring where he stood were wooden walls and dozens of cheering humans standing behind them, all of them gesturing and pointing at the two future combatants. Looking around, John also saw three sets of doors, one he'd just come out of, another leading to what he assumed were the labs, and a third set leading to somewhere unknown, possibly the outside world. Still, he had no time to dwell on it, as his muzzle was suddenly removed and he was manhandled into facing his opponent, a tough but nervous looking Great Dane who bore scars from previous fights. John looked him in the eye.

"We can refuse to do this." he said so the other male could hear him. "Real males don't have to fight unless they choose to."

"Shut up!" the Great Dane said in a shaky voice. "You're trying to distract me!"

"I don't want to hurt you." John said in a more insistent voice. "Our one true enemy is **them**, not each other. We should work together."

Suddenly there was a gunshot and John found that the human holding him had released his grip, and the leash that was around his neck. He knew immediately what was coming. Dodging sideways on instinct, he narrowly avoided the Great Dane's jaws, which snapped down where his face had been moments before with deadly force. The Shepherd leapt backwards, getting some distance.

"I said I don't want to hurt you!" he yelled, but the other dog wasn't listening.

He whirled around and charged again, and this time John had nowhere else to run to. He took the hit head on and found himself thrown back into the wooden barrier, the other male's fangs tearing at his neck and shoulder savagely as he did. A cheer went up from the humans and John jerked himself free as quickly as possible, smashing his opponent across the muzzle as hard as he could with a paw and sending him falling backwards onto his side. Then he got distance again.

"Listen to me!" he snapped. "You're letting them dictate your fate! Stand up and show them you won't take this! You're not their plaything!"

The Great Dane lunged at him with a furious snarl of his own, and John could delay no longer. He charged as well, his shoulder lowered, and the two came together in the center of the ring with bone crunching force, the Great Dane falling painfully onto his back as John wrapped his jaws around his opponent's throat and pinned him. Then he growled.

"This fight is over." he said. "Don't get back up or I'll put you down again."

"Kill him!" a voice called suddenly and John looked towards it in surprise, seeing a familiar face instantly.

He felt hatred rise in him like bile. Dante stood by the lab wing doorway, surrounded by his subordinates, a knowing look plastered on his face. Then the Rottweiler gestured to the fallen Great Dane.

"I said kill him!" he repeated. "He lost! Don't be a coward now, Zach."

John looked down at his opponent, who was trembling with terrified eyes beneath him, and then back at his enemy. Then he released his grip and stood, stepping over the other dog towards Dante as he did.

"No." he said defiantly. "That's not what a real male would do. And the only coward I see here is **you**, bastard. Unless you wanna come out here and fight me right now."

For a moment, the Rottweiler looked as though he might do just that. Then suddenly John heard a deafening 'BOOM' from right behind him and he whirled around in shock, his ears ringing painfully as he did. What he saw horrified him. The human with the cigarette in his mouth stood over the Great Dane with a rifle in his hands, the barrel smoking and a spent shell on the ground. The Great Dane himself was dead, blood and brain matter spattered out onto the dirt from where the bullet had shattered his skull at close range. John howled in fury.

"COWARD!" he yelled and tried to launch himself at the human, not caring for the moment that he was armed and had a lot of help.

Before he could get far though, strong arms wrapped around his throat and the muzzle was back on, his attempts at biting unsuccessful through his efforts to right his breathing. The human looked amused.

"We got our winner here!" he called to the other humans. "Any of you who bet on him come collect your money at the front! We'll be…"

After that his voice cut off, as John was dragged back into the holding room and tossed unceremoniously back in his cage, slashing the human handling him across the arm when he took his muzzle off. The human stumbled back furiously, cradling his wounded appendage.

"You son of a bitch!" he yelled, "I oughta – "

Suddenly, Thrinn and the other dogs stepped forward with an almost unanimous growl of their own, standing beside John and protecting him as the human retreated a step in surprise. Then he angrily sheathed the knife he had taken out.

"Fine." he muttered. "You filthy beasts aren't worth it anyway."

Moments later, he had vanished back through the doors and was gone. John immediately stood back up, his movements slow and deliberate as his eyes adjusted to the now dimmer light in the cage. Thrinn looked at him.

"The dog you fought," he said. "Tsuda. Is he…?"

John looked at him apologetically.

"Dead." he said. "I'm sorry. It wasn't me."

A gasping cry was heard from the back of the group, and John saw a female Great Dane collapse sobbing by the back wall, the other dogs nearby trying futilely to comfort her. Feeling a lump rise in his throat, the Shepherd saw Thrinn let out a heavy sigh.

"We heard the shot." he said. "It's not your fault."

Then he turned to the rest of the group.

"Everyone," he called. "Get some sleep! It's nearly dark."

No one argued and the prisoner dogs dispersed to different corners of the cage, with only John and Thrinn remaining where they were. Finally, Thrinn too laid down where he was standing and closed his eyes, curling himself into a ball as he did. John watched this silently, then looked up at the darkness above him, a dull ache in his shoulder from where the Great Dane had bitten him.

'Gin…' he thought. 'Where are you? I can't do this by myself.'

Then John sat down and remained where he was, allowing the dim light to fade around him until there was nothing left but darkness, darkness and the sound of breathing.

* * *

Musashi growled tensely as he padded his way down another back street, his claws clicking on the pavement beneath him as he did. Every sense in the Mastiff was on high alert for danger, and though he was relatively unconcerned for his own safety, he was becoming more and more concerned for John's.

'What the hell is going on here?' he thought angrily. 'These dogs have to be going somewhere! A male like John doesn't just vanish like this! What is going on in my territory?'

To his right, he heard Smith walking nervously and glanced over at the Spaniel to make sure that he was all right. Musashi felt very guilty. He had been looking forward to seeing his comrades in arms again after so long a time, and had dedicated himself to making Tosa a safe and pleasant place for their stay. Then the disappearances started happening. At first he had thought nothing of it, having had numerous other things on his mind, but when they started becoming more and more prevalent he had taken notice. The fact that there were still no witnesses to any of the disappearances concerned him, but it also told him that whatever was happening was happening at night. That's why he was hoping now for some clue that could help them. Anything…

"There's nothing down here, either." Smith announced to him, sniffing at the ground a few feet in front of him. "I don't smell either of their scents and there's no signs of a struggle."

"There never is." Musashi replied, looking around at the dark building walls around them. "Let's move on."

Smith nodded and followed him, the two of them walking back out onto the main road near the Eastern border of the city.

"So why'd you retire from the ring?" Smith asked. "You were the best there was."

Musashi glanced over at him.

"It was just time." he said, looking contemplative. "I'm not as young as I used to be, and…I got beaten a couple months ago."

Smith looked startled.

"**You** got beaten?" he exclaimed and the Mastiff snorted.

"Not by much," he said, "But yeah. It was a good fight. I'm not ashamed I lost."

The Spaniel shook his head.

"He must've been quite an opponent to beat you." he said and Musashi grinned.

"Thanks." he said, grateful for the compliment. "He was. If I was gonna pass on my torch to anyone, it would be him. He actually reminded me a lot of myself when I was at my best. Name's Toube. He's a good kid."

"Hey, you're not out of it yet." Smith said in a good-natured voice. "Stick with us and you'll get all the fighting you wa– "

"Smith."

The Spaniel stopped as his friend did, frowning at him as he did so.

"What?"

"Look."

Another dog had just stepped out of an alleyway up ahead, a female Shikoku-ken by the look of it, and had immediately frozen when she'd seen them. Musashi lifted his head, his senses telling him that something was wrong.

"Hey!" he called, and the female's head moved slightly. "What are you doing out this late? Who are you?"

Then he tensed his legs, fully ready to chase the dog when she turned and ran. To his surprise though, she instead walked towards them, stopping nervously when she was only about 5-10 feet away.

"A-Are you Musashi?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes darting around as if looking for something.

"Yes." the Mastiff replied warily, frowning in confusion. "Who are you, young lady?"

The female looked at him, and when a momentary streak of light passed over her face, he could see that she not only looked scared of something, she bore scars from what had to be some pretty serious wounds. Despite them, she also was quite beautiful.

"My name is Kana." she said, her voice growing slightly more confident. "And I have a message…for Gin of Ohu."

Musashi and Smith glanced at each other, and Smith narrowed his eyes at her.

"How did you know he was here?" he asked slowly and Musashi nodded.

"What's the message?" came a sudden voice, and then Gin himself was beside them, Akame flanking him, both of them having leapt off the roof of a nearby building.

The Akita looked at her expectantly and Kana stared back at him with a heavy sigh.

"It's about your friends." she said. "John and Zach."

The whole group perked up at once and Gin stepped forward determinedly, his eyes widening as he did.

"What about them?" he demanded. "Are they all right?"

She shook her head slowly.

"No…" she said. "They need help badly. They're in an abandoned complex in the mountains up the road. Humans took them there to take part in underground fights. If you want to save them, you need help and you need to hurry."

The group looked shocked and Musashi stepped up beside Gin.

"Is that what's been happening to all the missing dogs?" he asked. "How do you know this?"

She looked away guiltily and sighed.

"Because I'm the one that lured them to get captured." she said.

No one said a word and Gin stepped forward again, looking silently furious.

"Then why are you helping us now?" he asked quietly and Kana met his angry gaze.

"Because they have my brother," she said. "And this has all gone** way **too far."

Gin studied her for a long moment, and then exchanged a glance with both Akame and Musashi, each of whom nodded back at him. Then he did the same at her.

"All right." he said. "Tell me everything."

Kana closed her eyes and straightened up, meeting the Akita's gaze once more as she reopened them.

"Okay," she said and then took a deep breath. "Here's what happened…"

* * *

John examined the doorway carefully through the cage bars as he leaned against them, hoping to god that his idea would work. He was so used to Akame coming up with the intricate battle plans that he had taken the mundane task for granted, and now that he had to do it for himself, it was harder than he had thought.

'Still,' he thought, 'This one might just work. If we're fast, aggressive, and **really** lucky, we might just escape this alive.'

As soon as this thought left his mind, he felt a presence right behind him and knew immediately that it was Thrinn without even looking. The Canaan dog gestured to him with his head.

"The others are ready." he said and John nodded.

"Good." he replied and turned to follow the other male, seeing the rest of the numerous prisoner dogs staring at him expectantly almost as soon as he did.

Thrinn himself went to join them and before John knew it, every eye was on him. After first glancing around to make sure they were alone, he scanned them with his eyes.

"By now, most of you probably know who I am." he said, keeping his voice low. "And I know some of you. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that if we don't get out of here soon, we're all going to die."

No one answered him and John knew that none of them could dispute his words.

"Now I've come up with a plan that's dangerous, but might work, and if you all help me – " he continued.

"If we resist the humans, we'll be killed!" a voice cut him off. "We should stay here and wait!"

"Wait for what?" John replied, stepping forward. "You think they're just gonna let you go even if you win those fights? Your own leader said it himself. If you don't fight…you **will** die."

A nervous murmur went through the dogs at this and then Thrinn suddenly stepped forward to John's side.

"He's right." the Canaan dog said and John looked at him in mild surprise. "This may be our one chance to get away from here alive. We should take it."

"But Boss – "

"I have a plan." John said, interrupting the dog who'd spoken. "But it won't work unless we work together. If we wait until after the next fight, when the human is putting the winning dog back in here, if we charge the door together, we can force it open and escape through the arena, through the doors in there. Most of the humans should be gone by then. We'll have a chance."

"What chance do we have?" another dog asked and John stood up taller.

"If we stand together like true warriors," he said. "We have every chance in the world. These bastards made one grave mistake when they did all this to us: the most dangerous opponent you'll ever face…is the one with nothing left to lose."

Then he looked at them all.

"Are you with me?"

For a moment, the group looked unsure. Then, slowly, one by one, they all stepped forward with determined looks and nodded. John gave a satisfied smirk.

"Good!" he said enthusiastically. "Then get ready."

As soon as they began to disperse, the Shepherd gestured to Thrinn with his head, making the Canaan dog walk back over to him curiously. Then John looked at him.

"When we set this plan into motion," he said quietly. "I want you to lead those dogs out through the arena to safety."

"Why?" Thrinn frowned, and John turned back to the door he'd been examining.

"Just do it." he said.

Thrinn stared at his back, straightening up as he realized why the Ohu commander was stepping aside to give him leadership.

"You're going to the labs, aren't you?" he said and John only paused a moment.

"Yeah."

Thrinn sighed.

"John-sama," he said, sounding like he was choosing his words carefully. "I know you're worried about your friend – "

"I'm not leaving him behind." John replied, cutting him off. "And that's that."

"You can't get through those doors! It's impossible!"

"Watch me."

"John, please." Thrinn almost begged. "If you stay behind, they'll corner you in there and you'll never get out alive!"

The Shepherd whirled on him.

"I am **not** leaving him behind." he said more angrily.

Then he sighed and calmed down a little, sitting down by the bars moments later, looking halfway between guilty and determined. After a long pause, he kept going.

"It's funny." he said, staring straight ahead. "A year ago I would've been first in line to put that son-of-a-bitch in his grave. Now, he's one of my closest friends. How's that for strange?"

"John-sama…I…"

"You know what one of the last things I said to him was?" John asked, turning to look at him. "I called him 'useless'. I said it to his face and he **still** lied to save my life. He's in there maybe dying because of me…because I was weak. I'm never gonna forgive myself if he dies."

Then he shook his head as if clearing a thought from it.

"I'm not leaving him." he said and turned back to the door, telling Thrinn that the discussion was over.

Suddenly, the arena door flew open as it had a hundred times before, and the two humans from the previous day walked in, this time holding two muzzles and leashes. Behind them came Dante, and both he and John growled the minute they saw each other. The human in front immediately looked at the other one.

"Which ones, Kohei?" he asked and the other human gestured to John.

"Take the Shepherd again," he said. "He's tough. The guys seemed to like him, too."

"And the other?"

"The white one next to him." Kohei said, readying his Taser. "He won his first fight too. Should be interesting to see the two of 'em go at it."

Then the cage door opened and the first human walked in, Kohei giving him room by fending off the growling other dogs with his Taser. Neither John nor Thrinn resisted. Instead, they stared at each other intensely and allowed themselves to be muzzled and led out of the cell, their path taking them to the arena moments later. As soon as they were inside, John looked around. Around 15-20 humans stood around the barriers waiting for the fight to begin, and the dirty battleground had been cleaned of blood from what had happened the day before. John felt himself get half-dragged over to one side of the arena, and then forcibly turned to face Thrinn, who stared back at him with an almost undetectably nervous look on his face. Suddenly, right as both of their muzzles were removed, another human walked up to Kohei, whispering something in his ear as he did. Both John and Thrinn gave each other a confused look at this, glancing back at the exchange warily as soon as they had. Then Kohei nodded and turned to the crowd.

"Listen up!" he called. "We've got something special before the fight! Our resident mad-scientist wants us to help him condition his newest experiment, so you guys are gonna get a two on one match first! How's that sound?"

There was a roar of approval from the other humans and John saw Thrinn get pushed and shoved over beside him, both of them being turned to face the lab doors as soon as he was.

"What the hell's going on?" John demanded, leaning in close to the other male's ear.

Thrinn shook his head nervously.

"I don't know." he said. "They've never done this before. What is this, Dante?"

The Rottweiler smirked from his position by the far wall, not saying a word as his subordinates did the same at his side. Before John could yell at him though, the laboratory door suddenly swung open and the man in the white coat emerged with a notepad, scribbling in it hurriedly as he did. Behind him came another younger human, and being dragged behind them…John's stomach did a backflip…was the limp body of a dog, a visible trail of blood staining the dirt in his wake. Once they got to the other side of the arena, the younger human untied a leash from the dog's neck and stepped behind the barriers, the man in white doing the same beside him. As soon as they had, Kohei stepped out as well, and then there was a gunshot as both John and Thrinn were released from their leashes and holds. John ran forward immediately, getting to the injured dog's side in only 3 bounds. Once he was there, he skidded to an abrupt halt, Thrinn staying behind him further back.

It was as he feared. On the ground in front of him lay Zach, and he was truly a sight to behold. One of the Malamute's ears had been cut off, John could see, and he had a stitched-up slash tracing diagonally through his closed right eye. All over the rest of his body, including on his face and neck, were deep stab, slash, and burn marks, all of them slowly leaking blood onto the ground beneath him and pooling in the dirt that covered it. On top of that, at least 3 of his legs had been broken, and John doubted heavily that he could even stand up. All in all, he looked almost unrecognizable. The Shepherd's jaw dropped in horror, his shocked eyes scanning his friend's tortured body quickly as the humans around them began to jeer angrily for the lack of action. Suddenly, Zach's good eye fluttered open a crack and immediately looked at John, an almost unnoticeable smile spreading over its owner's face immediately afterwards.

"John…" Zach breathed weakly. "You're okay…"

John didn't respond, still too shocked to know what to do. Behind him, he heard the human Kohei's voice ring out angrily.

"Attack, you stupid mutts!" he yelled. "Kill him!"

Clenching his jaws silently in fury, John immediately moved forward towards his fallen comrade, looking as if he was going to do just that. At the last second though, he stepped over the Malamute instead and turned around to face the humans, standing over his friend's body protectively as Thrinn gasped softly in shock. More jeers rang out and Kohei straightened up angrily, picking up a rifle from nearby and raising it to his shoulder so John could see.

"Attack him!" he yelled again, but John stayed where he was, glaring defiantly back at the human without moving a muscle.

Kohei suddenly pulled the trigger, a familiar loud 'BOOM' sounding as he shot the ground next to the Shepherd in an effort to scare him.

"I said attack him!" he repeated and John felt Zach stir slightly beneath him.

"John…" the Malamute slurred. "Get out of here… Save yourself…"

"Shut up." the Shepherd replied.

"John…"

"**Shut up**!"

Then John looked down at him determinedly.

"We die together," he said. "Or not at all. I will not leave a fallen comrade."

Zach looked shocked for a split second, but then closed his eye again as Kohei raised the rifle once more and Dante suddenly leapt into the arena, his subordinates flanking him as a look of rage formed on his face.

"Do what you're told, Zach, you bastard!" he snarled. "How **dare** you disobey an order! I'll kill John right now, I swear to god!"

For once, John didn't growl at him, and instead smirked with a quietly mocking snort, seeing Thrinn sneak back into the cage room out of the corner of his eye.

"You idiot…" he said and Dante practically trembled in fury.

"WHAT?"

Then John glared right into his eyes.

"**I'm** John."

Dante opened his mouth to respond, looking as though he was about to disbelieve him again. Then, however, he paused and looked closer at both John and Zach, the latter of whom had reopened his eye and met the Rottweiler's gaze as well, a look of quiet triumph on his face as he did. When Dante spoke again, his voice trembled with anger.

"You lying little bastard…" he said, glaring at Zach furiously. "You LYING LITTLE BASTARD!"

Then he lunged forward with a furious snarl and John did the same, the two of them readying their fangs for combat. Moments later, they came together with almost simultaneous grunts and the blood began to fly. Dodging Dante's vicious bite at his face, John slashed the Rottweiler across the throat as hard as he could and then head-butted him between the eyes, causing him to stumble backwards as blood started pouring out of the newly formed wound. Before he could keep going though, the evil dog's henchmen all attacked him at once and John found himself on his back, fangs tearing into him from every side.

"STOP!"

Everyone froze and John did as well, recognizing the sudden bark instantly. Turning with an overjoyed smile, he looked towards the arena's outer door…and saw Gin standing in it's entrance, the wrathful look on his face so pronounced that John was momentarily startled into inaction. The Akita glared death at everyone inside.

"Get away from them." he hissed dangerously.

Then the Ohu leader let out a battle howl and charged into the room, dozens and dozens of other dogs pouring in behind him as the humans began shouting in terror and scattering like ants. John saw Kohei raise his rifle and attempt to shoot down the Akita, but then Musashi was there, and the human disappeared under a pile of snarling bodies, an agonized scream following in his wake moments later.

Suddenly, John was smacked hard across the face, falling onto his side painfully as Dante moved in for another hit, this time landing a head-butt to the Shepherd's nose and sending blood streaming down his snout. John snarled furiously. That was officially the last straw. Seeing Kurotora and Smith attacking the Rottweiler's subordinates out of the corner of his eye, John shot to his paws and bowled Dante onto his back with a snarl born straight of hell, ignoring the other dog's startled expression as he did. Then he began ravaging any part of him he could reach. Slashing back and forth, he ripped at the Rottweiler's eyes and cheeks, his nose and chin, tearing chunks out of him at a time until finally finishing him off with a savage bite to the throat, chomping down as hard as he could until he heard a 'CRUNCH' and Dante's gargled choking ceased altogether. Then he released his grip, stepping off of the dead dog as Akame leapt up to him.

"John!" the Kishu yelled. "Are you okay?"

"I am now!" the Shepherd answered, smiling in genuine relief. "Thanks for the great timing, Akame!"

The Kishu nodded at him with a relieved smile of his own.

"Where's Zach?"

"He's over – " John started, but then froze as he saw that the Malamute was gone.

Whipping his head around frantically, he gasped as he saw the man in the white coat dragging the limp dog by the hind leg back into the laboratories, disappearing through the doorway seconds later.

"No!" John shouted and ran at it, Akame doing the same beside him, having seen it too.

Immediately though, they were cut off by more enemy fighters and had to pull up, stopping to deal with them as Gin, Musashi and the others pushed forward to their location. John gritted his fangs.

'Damn it!' he thought angrily.

* * *

Zach growled quietly to himself as he lay on the lab table, white-hot pain shooting through his entire body. He could feel a dull numbness slowly spreading through him, and every time he moved he lost more and more feeling in his extremities. In the back of his mind, he wondered how Gin, John and the others were doing, and hoped that his friends would survive their battle intact. Suddenly, the door to the lab flew open with a 'BANG' and the man in the white coat stormed in from where he had vanished to, looking very hurried as he did. Rushing over to his table, he quickly picked up his tape recorder and began smashing it on the floor, only stopping when it lay useless in pieces. Then he stood up and looked over at Zach.

"Looks like you and me won't be finishing our little project." he said. "After all this, the police are bound to show up. I'm going to have to start all over."

He shook his head.

"It's too bad. You had potential."

Suddenly, he pulled a long, jagged knife from out of his coat and walked over to the table, grabbing Zach by the head as he did. Then he raised the knife high into air, aiming the point at the helpless dog's throat.

"Test subject 117," he said as if reading into the recorder. "Deceased."

Zach gazed up at him serenely and did not make a sound, accepting his own impending death. Then, however, the lab door flew open again and both looked up immediately, Zach craning his neck as best he could. That was all they had time to do. Before either could do anything, a white, blood-spattered shape that Zach recognized as Akame barreled into the human scientist, a hideous snarl erupting from him as they both fell backwards with a crash, the knife sliding away across the floor as a result. Behind Akame came John and the rest of the group, and from the other doorway came Thrinn and all the prisoner dogs, groups of them streaming in at a time as Zach watched in awe. Then they immediately laid into the doomed human, biting him all over his body and dragging him out the door screaming seconds later, disappearing from view almost as soon as they had arrived. Not bothering to stop them, Gin and the others rushed over to Zach's side, crowding around the table as soon as they got there.

"Oh my god." Kurotora said in a disgusted sounding voice as he saw the Malamute's state and Zach chuckled weakly.

"Sexy, huh?" he said and John immediately cut off the Kai dog's response.

"Zach," he growled in concern. "Are you all right?"

The younger male breathed heavily as Akame and Gin began licking his wounds, Musashi doing the same a few feet over.

"I've had better weeks," he said in the same soft voice. "How are you?"

"Me?" the Shepherd scoffed. "Pfft! I'm fine. I'm always fine. You're the one we need to worry about right now!"

"Didn't know you…cared…John…"

"I don't." John replied with a toothy grin. "But who am I gonna fight with if you up and die on me?"

Zach chuckled softly and Smith shook his head from where he stood.

"Boy," he quipped, trying to break the tension. "You can really feel the love in here."

"All right, later!" Gin said sternly, though he had to stifle a grin himself. "Let's get him the hell out of here and go…quickly!"

The others immediately nodded in agreement and the Akita leapt to join Chutora in getting the Malamute's limp form onto Musashi's broad back. Once this was done, he turned to his friends.

"Let's go!" he said and the others let out barks of support.

Then the group turned and charged out of the room, leaving 'Limbo' behind altogether moments later. As they ran off into the forest back towards Tosa, John looked back at the hidden building, Akame running at his side.

'Good riddance,' he thought brutally. 'Good riddance…'

* * *

"I'm truly sorry about all this, Gin. This should've been a pleasant visit."

John looked up as Musashi stood before the Akita, a guilty look on his weathered face, and his head bowed slightly in shame. They had arrived back in Tosa a little less than 5 hours ago, and already things were starting to be set right again. Thrinn and the other kidnapped dogs had all dispersed to go back to their homes, and John had personally thanked the Canaan dog for all he had done to help while they were in captivity. On top of that, Dante and the rest of his subordinates had all been killed during the battle, so there were no tricky issues of punishment to be dealt with for Musashi in its aftermath. Most of the humans had gotten away, a fact that made John angry, but there were simply some things that needed to be dealt with by others. For the moment, he was simply happy that they had all escaped with their lives. Over by Musashi, Gin nodded back graciously.

"It's not your fault, Musashi." he said. "There's no way you could've known. Just like there's no way I could've. I wish we could've spent more time visiting each other instead of all this."

"Agreed." the Mastiff said with a nod, some of his guilt sliding away. "Maybe next time I'll have to come to you instead."

The two males shared a chuckle and then Gin looked over his friend's shoulder, seeing Kana sitting solemnly by two other fight dogs.

"What's gonna happen to her?" he asked and Musashi followed his gaze, sighing a moment later.

"She's going to stay here with us." he said. "Both to atone for what she helped do and because she has nowhere else to go."

"And her brother?"

Musashi shook his head.

"Dead." he said. "He was probably killed a long time ago. They were lying to her to get her to do they wanted."

Gin shook his head as well. How truly pointless it had all been. Then John saw him blink and turn back to Musashi.

"Well," he said, glancing at Akame as he did. "We should be going. It's a long journey back to Ohu from here."

"Indeed." Musashi agreed. "You gonna say goodbye to Zach before you go?"

Behind Gin, Smith gave a start, exchanging a confused look with the Kai brothers next to him.

"Goodbye?" he repeated, then looked at Gin and Akame. "He's not coming with us?"

Akame shook his head.

"He can't." he said in a calm, almost sad-sounding voice. "That human really did a number on him. Given the condition he's in, if we move him very far he'll die."

"He's going to stay with Musashi until he heals." Gin added, looking reassuringly at his friends. "Then he'll meet us back in Ohu when he's ready."

Kurotora let out a light snort.

"That could take **months**." he said and Gin nodded in agreement.

"Don't sound so thrilled, Kuro." came a quiet voice. "You know you'll miss me."

The group all looked towards it at once and saw Zach perched on the back of one of Musashi's fight dogs, a tired look on his newly scarred face and a smirk on his muzzle. The Kai dog let out a laugh.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and the Malamute stretched his neck slowly.

"Like I could take on the world." he said teasingly. "So you better watch out."

"We'll meet you back in Ohu when you're ready." Gin said, stepping up to his comrade with Akame and John at his side. "I'm sorry we can't stay, but we have responsibilities back home."

Then he cocked his head with a concerned look, his eyes softening considerably.

"Try to get some rest, Zach." he said. "You need it."

The Malamute raised an eyebrow.

"You really trust me enough to leave me alone like this?" he asked. "I thought I was your prisoner."

"You haven't been our prisoner for a long time, Zach." Akame said with a small smile. "And you **do** have our trust…all of it. It's been an honor."

Zach returned the smile.

"The honor was mine, sir." he said and John smirked as Gin and Akame nodded graciously.

"Besides," he said. "If you cause any trouble, we know where you'll be. You'll have to make a hobble for the border."

The Malamute's gaze panned over to him and he snorted amusedly.

"Don't count on it." he said. "I'll be long gone. I'll be able to smell you coming a territory away."

John chuckled and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Gin and Akame had retreated back to the others and were watching the exchange patiently. He knew immediately that they were waiting for him. Looking Zach in the eye, he gave his friend a nod.

"About what you did," he said. "…Thanks. You're an idiot, but you probably saved my life."

Zach looked him up and down.

"You saved **my** life." he responded. "Consider us even."

Then after a pause, he added:

"And by 'consider us even', I mean: 'mine was more heroic than yours, so I now totally own your ass'."

John snorted and met the Malamute's gaze.

"Sarcastic bastard."

"Arrogant asshole."

Then the Shepherd turned away with a grin, glancing over his shoulder and giving the younger male a nod.

"See you 'round, kid." he said, his voice warmer and friendlier than it had been in a long time.

Then, without waiting for a response, John of Ohu finished his walk back to his friends and followed them down Tosa's main street, disappearing from sight along with them as soon as they rounded a curve in the road. Once they were gone, Zach felt someone pad up next to him, hearing Musashi begin barking orders somewhere in the background. When he turned his head to look, he saw the female Shikoku-ken standing beside him, her face slightly awed through her sadness.

"They seem like good dogs." she said, her head bowed slightly. "All of them."

He nodded in agreement.

"They are." he said quietly. "Trust me."

"You're lucky to have them as friends."

"…I know."

Then she turned and looked him in the eye, an almost shy smile forming on her muzzle.

"I'm Kana." she said and he nodded, a tired smile tracing across his lips as well.

"It's nice to meet you, Kana." he said. "I'm Zach."


	12. Story 12: The Broken

**Author's Note:** Story 12! Sorry about the LONG wait on this one, guys. My medical problems have been sorted out and though my workload hasn't slowed down, I finally found time to finish this. Now, this chapter is probably going to be a little controversial. One of the questions I was constantly asked the most is if I was going to show what happened to a specific character who's name will remain unmentioned (Chutora). With this chapter, I wanted to show not only what happened to him, but why no one in the manga ever seems to talk about him ("It's a manga. LOL!"). I actually really like the result and I hope you will as well. Get ready though, this one is SUPER dark (I personally think it HAD to be this dark in order to be believable).

One other thing, this will probably be the last stand-alone chapter in "The Chronicles of Ohu". It is NOT, however, the last chapter. After this, there is a final story "arc" that will comprise of multiple chapters and will be sort of a story within a story. It will take some time to put together though, so be prepared for a little bit of a wait after this one. Thanks to Katana, Des, F-Riviera, and Nekonotaishou for reviewing the last chapter! Thanks and please review!

* * *

_There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man._

_-Polybius_

* * *

Kurotora gave a startled grunt as something swatted him in the cheek, rudely interrupting what had been a very relaxing sleep.

"What the – " he growled in irritation. "Watch it!"

"Shh!" the dog responsible hissed. "Shut up, Kuro!"

The dark-furred Kai rose to his feet, stretching his tiny legs as he did.

"**You** shut up, Chutora!" he retorted. "What'd you kick me for?"

His older brother shushed him again, this time joined by his red-furred counterpart on the left.

"Both of you," the red one said sternly. "Quiet! I **know** I heard something."

Kurotora reared onto his hind legs and craned his neck to look over the edge of the cardboard box the three of them called home. Beside him, Chutora looked over at his red-furred brother.

"See anything, Aka?" he asked and the other dog shook his head.

"No." he replied bluntly. "But I know it's there."

Kurotora let out a little snort.

"Pfft!" he said. "You're hearing things. Nothin' would mess with us!"

"You mean nothing would mess with me and Akatora." Chutora grinned cheekily. "**You** are just a little wimp along for the ride."

"Hey, I'm tough!" Kurotora protested with a little growl, sounding put out despite himself.

Chutora laughed, turning to face him.

"Yeah?" he said, then switched to a mocking baby voice. "Does little Kuro need me to get his food again?"

The dark-furred Kai didn't hesitate for a moment. Growling as loudly as he was capable, he tackled his older brother hard, biting him on the side of the neck as he tried to pin him on his back. For his part, Chutora fought back with equal force and the two pups began bouncing off the walls of the box as they rolled around within its confines. Turning in irritation, Akatora rolled his eyes down at them.

"Will you two knock it – WHOA!" he said loudly, letting out a grunt of his own as his feet were knocked out from under him and he landed on his back.

Within seconds of this, he was back on his feet, the anger on his face clearly visible as he opened his mouth to yell at his two younger siblings. He never got the chance. The next thing any of them knew, a large, fast-moving white shape erupted over the side of the box with a high-pitched snarl, sending both Akatora and Chutora flying over the sides and into the underbrush a few feet away. Kurotora though, didn't even have time to move. He managed to register in the few seconds available to him that the newcomer was a large pine marten, an animal he had almost no experience with, before huge slavering jaws shot towards him from above…and all light snuffed out in his right eye.

The pain was unbearable. It was beyond anything the young pup had ever felt before and as the pine marten sunk its teeth deeper into his face, Kurotora screamed. Somewhere in the background, he could hear both Akatora and Chutora shouting out his name, their young voices quivering with terror, and he nearly peed the ground where he sat. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the pine marten was gone. Kurotora had no idea why it had released him, but as soon as it did, he fell to the ground and pawed at his face, tears streaming down his furred cheeks as he did. A new, deeper snarl came to his ears from somewhere out of sight, and he heard the pine marten's own yowls of pain and fear getting fainter and fainter before they were gone altogether. Then the box tipped over and he tumbled out onto the grass and dirt, scrambling to his paws as quickly as he could once he regained his balance. As soon as he had, he looked upon his rescuer. A huge, brown-furred Great Dane loomed over him like a giant, it's eyes showing nothing but concern and kindness despite the fresh blood lining its lips. Kurotora whined, confused and terrified as too many sensations bombarded him at once. Then a deep, rich voice came to his ears.

"Easy…" the voice said, and he felt a warm tongue swipe over his wounded eye. "You're all right. He's gone."

The young Kai dog kept whining, his tears still stubbornly coming despite his attempts to force them back. The Great Dane looked around at them.

"You kids must be tough," he said. "Surviving out here by yourselves. Must be all that Kai dog blood in you."

Then he stood back up as Kurotora got his whimpering under control.

"That eye's gonna scar pretty good." he said, nodding at the dark-furred puppy before chuckling slightly. "But don't worry about it. If anything it'll give you some character."

Kurotora looked up at him in awe, seeing both Akatora and Chutora doing the same a few feet over. Then a human voice echoed suddenly through the trees.

"Ben!" it called, and then let out a loud whistle. "Ben, come!"

The Great Dane turned to them with a smile.

"You're all right." he repeated, then turned away from them slightly. "I'll be back to check on you in a few days. You should be fine 'til then. Look after each other, huh?"

Then he turned and bounded away into the trees, disappearing from view moments later with a flick of his tail. Akatora and Chutora both immediately bounded up to their younger brother.

"Let me see," Chutora demanded, craning his neck. "Let me see!"

Kurotora turned towards him, still trying to get used to seeing out of only his left eye. After a few seconds, his brown-furred older brother laughed excitedly.

"Wicked!" he said with a grin. "No one'll mess with you now, Kuro! You've got a genuine battle scar!"

"Ow!" the younger Kai hissed as his brother prodded it with a paw. "It hurts! How am I supposed to fight with only one eye? I'm dead, Chutora! I can't survive like this!"

"Hey!" his elder brother said, his voice suddenly turning serious. "You can and you will! That adult was right, it just gives you some character. I hope **I **get a scar one day so **I** can look that cool!"

"But what if I get into a fight and can't see well?"

"Then I'll be there watching your back." came the answer and Kurotora saw Chutora grin at him again. "Don't worry little brother. You're not going anywhere…and neither am I."

Kurotora smiled back at him happily, the throbbing pain in his face starting to subside a little. A few feet over, Akatora was flipping their box back over and as soon as he had succeeded, a rabbit suddenly hopped into view at the other edge of their clearing. Chutora let out a whoop.

"Guys!" he said. "There's our dinner!"

"After it!" Akatora cried.

They both bounded forward howling battle cries and Kurotora wasted no further time. Sprinting after his brothers and their rapidly departing prey, he felt a smile still plastered on his newly scarred face. Somehow he knew that not only would they be all right, there were great things ahead for them in their future. In the back of his mind, the Great Dane's words played over and over, and as the three of them descended on their kill, he made a note to remember them as long as he lived.

'Look after each other. Look after each other…'

* * *

Kurotora yawned widely as he walked, feeling Smith's tail brush his flank lightly as the two walked side by side at the rear of the group. The sun shone down brightly on them from overhead, and in front of them Gin led the way at an easy pace, John and Akame flanking him on either side and matching his steps with their own. It had been over a day and a half since they had left Shikoku, and already the group had made it to the Shiga Prefecture, a small territory well into mainland away from the shore. They were making good time back towards Ohu, and though he was grateful for the couple days of peace they were getting, it was taking him a while to adjust to the newfound quiet amongst their ranks.

Just as Great's had before him, Zach's absence felt somehow like a hole in the group, and every time Kurotora looked over, he half expected to see the Malamute's grinning form walking beside him. That the younger male had only been with them for a little over a year didn't even cross the Kai dog's mind. To him, for some reason, Zach was just one of them, and he felt as though he had always been. Now that he was gone, the noise level in their travels had decreased significantly, and Kurotora almost found himself missing the heated bickering the Malamute used to constantly engage in with John.

For his part, the Shepherd's wounds had healed quickly in the aftermath of their departure, and though he seemed to be back to his normal, arrogant self, a closer look revealed a more subdued dog then normal. This was something that Kurotora didn't expect to see from John, and he wondered silently if the Shepherd felt guilty over what had happened to Zach, particularly since the Malamute's injuries had been sustained while saving his life. For some reason, the dark-furred Kai secretly doubted this, and decided to settle with the explanation that, like him, the Ohu commander simply missed his sparring partner. He smirked. John could act heartless at times and was definitely full of himself, but deep down he knew, despite his battle-hardened exterior, the Shepherd had a soft core. Beside him, Smith raised an eyebrow.

"What are** you** grinning at?" he asked curiously and Kurotora looked over at him with a snort.

"Your fighting skills." he teased bluntly. "They make me laugh."

Smith scowled at him.

"Yeah?" he said. "Says the guy with a permanent scar on his face."

"Hey," Kurotora replied coolly. "The ladies love this scar. What have **you** got that can draw 'em in? Huh? How have those floppy ears been doing for you?"

"Ha ha. Fuck you."

In front of them, Akame sighed and glanced at Gin.

"Well," he said, acting as though the two weren't even there. "There goes our peace and quiet."

The Akita chuckled without looking at him.

"We'll stop to rest soon." he said. "We've been going all day anyway. Are there any packs around here that are dangerous?"

"No." the ninja-dog replied simply. "Shiga's a pretty stable territory. Besides, we'll be out of it and into the next one soon so we shouldn't have any problems, leader."

"Good." Gin said, then stretched his legs midstride. "Hopefully everything's still peaceful back home. We could use the rest again after this."

"We would've heard something if it wasn't, Gin." John said reasonably, glaring calculatingly at the trees around them as if he was searching for anything that could be deemed a threat. "You worry too much."

"Hmm, maybe." the Akita replied, then turned to him with a small smile. "But that's better than not worrying at all."

"Let's stop here, leader." Chutora spoke up from behind them. "Why don't you rest and Smith and I can go hunt for food."

Gin only paused a moment.

"All right." he agreed, trotting to a halt. "We'll be here when you get back."

Nodding, the elder Kai dog gestured to the Spaniel, who had just finished making a face in Kurotora's direction, and began to run off, the other dog tailing him closely as he ran. Suddenly though, they stopped, only having gotten a couple steps. A large shape was weaving in and out of the trees a few hundred feet from their position and seemed to be headed straight for them. From where he had lay down, Kurotora heard his brother's voice speak up again.

"Leader," Chutora said. "We've got company."

Raising his own head, Gin stood at the same time John and Akame did, the former taking a protective step forward to position himself in between Gin and the intruder. It was an unneeded effort. A minute later, a familiar face came trotting out of the underbrush, and they all relaxed their tension.

"Ikaru!" Gin exclaimed in surprise, watching as the Ohu guard padded to a halt. "What are **you** doing here? Is something wrong in Futago Pass?"

The other male shook his head, panting as he caught his breath.

"No sir," he said, and Kurotora could see that he had a smile on his face. "Gajou is safe. I'm actually here with news from Kai."

Then he looked Kurotora's way as the rest of them straightened up in surprise.

"Good news." he clarified with a grin and the younger Kai brother felt his heart do a backflip.

He stood quickly.

"Ikaru," he demanded, taking a quick step forward. "My pups…are they…"

The other male nodded.

"They're born, sir." he said with a smile. "So are Chutora-san's. You're both fathers."

Kurotora immediately let out a loud bark of joy, practically sending Smith to the ground as he smacked him on the back with a paw.

"Ha ha!" he whooped. "Did you hear that? I'm a god damn father!"

"Congratulations, guys." Gin smiled warmly, watching as Chutora had a similar reaction to his brother a few feet over.

"We've gotta get back there **now**, leader!" he said excitedly, suddenly looking very antsy. "Shiori'll kill me if I'm not there to help her with them!"

"Yeah, let's go Gin!" Kurotora joined in, looking equally as impatient as the three Ohu leaders nodded knowingly at each other.

A few moments later, Gin turned back to Ikaru.

"Ikaru," he smiled. "Take us to Kai. Best possible speed."

The Ohu guard gave a short nod of his own.

"Yes sir." he replied and immediately took off running back the way he'd come, the Ohu group matching his speed and movements with their own.

Running at Akame's side, Kurotora's thoughts raced a mile a minute.

'I'm a father!' he thought, his head spinning as a new wave of happiness shot through him. 'I have pups! We **both** have pups! I can't wait to see them!'

Deep down, the prideful Kai was slightly embarrassed by his own childish enthusiasm, but the newfound sense of joy he felt at the sudden news pushed it far to the back of his mind. He was getting a real family of his own. Things were finally starting to look up.

* * *

By the time Kai began to make itself visible to them, Kurotora had smelled it coming a mile away. It was the afternoon now, and though they had made incredible time from the Shiga Border to where they currently were, he was not the least bit tired. Some of the others were, of course, but not him. Oh no. He had been looking forward to this for a very long time. When had he last seen this landscape, these trees, these mountains? With a start, he realized that it had been almost 2 years ago, and the day that he, Akatora, and Chutora had left with Ben's platoon to go gather dogs to fight Akakabuto had been the last time he'd walked these grounds. Kurotora sighed inwardly. It was good to be home…

Not much appeared to have changed in the interim, he saw, and the more Ikaru kept running towards the mountainous area a few kilometers in, the more the dark-furred Kai knew exactly where he was going. Chutora seemed to have guessed the same, for right as the group of them wound their way up a narrow cliff side path to the plateau that waited up above, he shot forward into the lead and sprinted full speed towards the caves that lay set into the other side.

"Shiori!" he barked loudly. "Shiori!"

Almost immediately, before Kurotora could call for his own mate, at least 5 dogs came out of nowhere and leapt in front of the entrance to the main cave, barring access to it with warning growls and deadly glares. The loudest of all came from a Spitz that Kurotora recognized as one of his mate's subordinates, as he remembered her from their time back in Niigata. She lowered her head and snarled as the group of them approached.

"Stop where you are!" she thundered, "This territory is off limits to travelers! I suggest you leave while you can!"

"What about expectant fathers?" Chutora grinned as he trotted to a halt casually, looking unafraid of the threat. "Is it off limits to them?"

The Spitz immediately relaxed her posture and looked closer at the newcomers, her eyes widening moments later.

"Chutora-san!" she exclaimed as the other dogs eased up as well. "Kurotora-san! We didn't think you'd get here this fast!"

"Believe me," Smith panted from the back of the group, still trying to catch his breath. "Neither did we."

Kurotora saw Gin, John, and Akame grin at this, and would've himself had he not been so anxious to continue forward.

"Has anything changed?" he demanded. "Let us see them!"

"I…'m not sure that's a good idea." the Spitz said slowly. "Amaya-san has…er…been in a mood today."

As if on cue, a voice emerged from within the cave that Kurotora recognized immediately with a rush of affection.

"Nagisa," it said, sounding tired. "You blockhead! Let them in! They've been away long enough already, don't you think?"

The Spitz rolled her eyes in exasperation at the insult and immediately stood aside, allowing both Kurotora and Chutora to rush on by into the cave as Gin stopped to thank her for standing guard. Letting his eyes adjust to the dimmer light, Kurotora padded swiftly to the back of the cave…and saw one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. Lying on the ground by the rear wall was Amaya and beside her, Shiori. Both females looked tired but just as gorgeous as he remembered them, and they grinned happily as they saw their mates come up to them from the entrance. It was on the ground next to them though that both brothers' eyes were fixed. Curled into balls near their mothers' feet were 7 small puppies, 4 near Shiori and 3 near Amaya, and their backs rose and fell steadily in sleep as the group of males quietly approached them. Kurotora nearly laughed out loud with joy, feeling Amaya lean over to nose at his cheek as he lay down in front of them and scanned over his children with his good eye.

"What are their names?" he asked, and Amaya snorted.

"And hello to you too." she teased, but then chuckled down at them. "I thought you'd want some say in that."

He nodded gratefully and took in his children's scents, looking them over for a long time before taking his claw and tapping a white furred male with black tiger stripes.

"Harutora." he said confidently, feeling pleased with himself as he moved on to the other two.

Both were also male and resembled each other in many ways, although the bigger and elder of the two had a few extra stripes underneath his eyes. Kurotora tapped him next.

"Kagetora." he said, loving how the name sounded to him.

Finally he tapped the last one.

"Nobutora." he said with a final grin and Amaya nodded in approval, nuzzling him again.

"I like it," she said and John snorted from his position by Gin.

"3 brothers…" he said, sounding amused. "How appropriate."

Over to Kuro's right, Chutora and Shiori were busy admiring their own pups, both looking very content in just watching them for as long as they could. Then Chutora tilted his head slightly.

"Why do these two have floppy ears?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion.

Shiori chuckled.

"I was hoping you could tell me." she replied almost teasingly and the brown-furred Kai frowned, looking over at his friends at the same time she did, his scrutinizing gaze focusing on Smith.

"What?" the Spaniel asked, returning the frown, but then took a step back when he saw what was going on. "Hey, don't look at **me**! You two have no one to blame but yourselves for this!"

A round of laughter erupted from the rest of the Ohu group and Chutora shook his head, turning back to his mate.

"Don't worry, Smith." he teased. "I believe you…for the moment."

"Yeah, I'll bet you do."

"Shouji." Chutora said affectionately, ignoring his friend and nosing one of the pups.

Then he nosed another.

"Shigure."

Shiori smiled and did the same to the other two.

"Burukin." she said to the first and then turned to the second. "Dodo."

When Chutora gave her a look, the female Kai held up a paw.

"Hey," she said defensively. "I have my reasons. Besides, if I'm letting you have Shouji, I get Dodo."

He chuckled and nuzzled her.

"Sounds good to me." he said affectionately and she returned the nuzzle, both of them closing their eyes contentedly as they did.

Behind them, Gin smiled and gestured back outside to John, Akame, and Smith and the 4 of them quietly excused themselves and left the 2 couples alone to enjoy the moment. Once they had departed the cave and were out of earshot, Gin turned to them.

"They're obviously not coming back to Gajou with us after this." he said. "So I think we need to talk about leaving them here to start raising their families and head back ourselves."

"I agree." Akame said with a nod. "We have duties back in Ohu and here we would just get in their way. I think we should spend the night and then leave in the morning."

Both John and Smith nodded in agreement at this and Gin did as well, turning to all of them once he had.

"It's settled then." he said. "Rest up until tomorrow and we'll leave at sunrise."

From his position by John, Smith gave a snort.

"Our little group's getting pretty empty, Gin." he said with an almost regretful note in his voice. "Suddenly I'm feeling like the odd-dog out in this little band of leaders."

The Akita gave him a reassuring smile.

"It is indeed." he agreed, turning to walk back towards the cave. "And for the record Smith, you'll always be an equal in my book."

"Yeah." John snorted as the Spaniel nodded gratefully at Gin. "…Platoon leader Smith, sleeping with a fellow soldier's mate behind his back. The honor in it moves me to tears."

"Oh bite me." Smith retorted as Akame and Gin grinned in front of them, the four of them padding slowly back into the cave's inner sanctum as they did.

Inside, in the company of new life, they would rest from their journey and wait until morning.

* * *

Kurotora yawned as his eyes fluttered open, his tired body protesting being disturbed from such a relaxing sleep. Lifting his head slowly, he saw that it was still night, and silently wondered what had awoken him from his slumber. Stretching his legs as he did, the dark-furred Kai dog stood and walked over to the cave entrance, seeing Gin and Akame sleeping peacefully out of the corner of his eye. Outside, a gentle breeze was sweeping by, and the stars above seemed to number in the thousands, complementing the full moon amongst them nicely and adding some pale, ambient light to the whole scene. To Kuro, it looked suitably beautiful.

"Can't sleep either?"

The Kai dog turned his head towards the voice in surprise, though he recognized it immediately. Padding softly up to join him was Chutora, and the brown-furred dog settled onto his haunches beside him without waiting for an answer, as if the question had just been a way to inform him of his presence. Once he had, he too looked up at the nighttime sky with a sigh.

"It's funny." he said when Kurotora didn't say anything immediately. "This is the first time we've been back here since…what happened to Akatora…and it hasn't changed much at all. To me it all still looks the same."

"Yeah," Kurotora agreed with a grunt. "I guess it's only us that time passed for. We've certainly come a long way since then."

Chutora chuckled lightly.

"Tell me about it." he said with a smirk. "Chutora of Kai…and his sons. There's something I thought I'd never live to see."

"Trust me, I know **that** feeling."

"Actually," the elder Kai teased. "I'm more surprised that **you're** here than me. The fact that we managed to find someone who can put up with your mood swings is a miracle."

"Screw you." Kurotora grunted sleepily and Chutora chuckled, glancing back at their sleeping families as he did.

"You ready for this?" he asked and the younger Kai didn't even have to ask what he meant.

"Believe it or not," he said thoughtfully. "I think I am."

"Good." Chutora nodded. "So am I. And I think we'd better be, 'cause I think we're finally here to stay. You're not going anywhere this time, little brother…and neither am I."

At that, both brothers exchanged a smile and Chutora gestured with his head.

"We should get some sleep." he said, padding back to Shiori's side and laying down again. "I get the feeling we're both gonna need it. See you tomorrow."

Within moments of this, he had closed his eyes again and was already asleep, leaving Kurotora staring at him silently in the dark cave, alone once more. Then he too went back to his mate's side, still wondering what had woken him up in the first place, and resumed his sleeping position on the floor beside her.

"See you tomorrow." he said, a strange, almost ominous feeling sweeping through him as he let his gaze linger on his brother and his family.

Then he laid his head back down on his paws and put it out of his mind. Moments later, his eyes slid shut again, and sleep reclaimed him.

* * *

Smith blinked sleepily as he followed the path away from the cave, the bright morning sunlight stabbing at his eyes violently as he tried to adapt to the new day around him. He had awoken suddenly in the very early morning to a rough tugging on his ears, and had opened his eyes in startled confusion in time to see two of his friends' pups playing tug of war with his head, one ear in each of their mouths, both of them pulling hard on him as if determined to claim him for their own. The deadpan expression that had followed this was apparently enough to elicit a round of laughter from the others, and Chutora had carried both pups outside to go for a walk and let them work off some of their excess energy, inviting the Spaniel to go with him as he did. Smith had accepted this invitation with a shrug, reassuring Gin as they strode past that he would be back in time for them to leave for Ohu. Now, as he followed Chutora along the winding cliff pathway leading deeper into the mountains of Kai, he could safely say that he was looking forward to returning home, and getting some well-earned rest there as well. Right as he finished thinking this, Chutora glanced back at him.

"Geez, Smith." he scoffed. "I haven't heard you this quiet since you fell into that cave back in Mutsu! Wake up and talk or something."

"Says the guy who actually **got** some sleep." the Spaniel retorted, watching as the Kai dog's two pups tussled on the ground in front of their father. "And **doesn't** have to walk all the way back to Ohu from here."

"Pfft!" Chutora snorted. "You could complain about anything!"

"Hey, watch it." Smith warned, stepping over a rock as they reached the steepest part of the path. "Or you and I might part ways with a little sparring match instead of a nod."

Chutora let out a bark-like laugh, turning around as he did.

"Anytime you wanna go, Smith, I'm right here." he said almost tauntingly, then pushed his shoulder with a paw. "C'mon! Let's get one last fight in for old time's sake."

"You mean before you're demoted from fierce warrior to wet nurse?"

"You are just **asking** for a head butt in the jaw." Chutora said, narrowing his eyes with a smirk.

"Oh yeah?" the Spaniel responded. "Well don't let being neutered by fatherhood stop – "

Suddenly, his eyes panned over the Kai dog's left shoulder and he saw a sight that made his blood run cold. In the midst of their friendly argument, the two had forgotten to keep an eye on the playing pups up ahead of them, and now they were rolling perilously close to the edge of the path…and the massive drop that lay just beyond it.

"Tora!" Smith barked in alarm. "TORA!"

The Kai dog had whirled around upon seeing his expression though, and had already bolted off down the path as fast as his legs could carry him, trying desperately to reach his kids as Smith struggled to catch up behind him. What happened next would forever burn itself into Smith's mind, and he would remember it vividly until the day he died. Because the two had reacted so late, the playing pups rolled over the last few inches of the path edge before they could reach them and began to drop off into oblivion. At the last second though, Chutora made a diving lunge and grabbed them both in his jaws as they began to fall, tossing them back to safety over his shoulder with all the strength he possessed. In his desperation however, he had leaped too far and quickly began to plummet himself, not making so much as a sound as he did.

Smith made a diving lunge of his own as soon as he saw it and snapped his jaws desperately at his comrade's hind legs, trying to grab one of them before the unthinkable happened. His jaws closed on empty air. Before his eyes, a momentarily startled expression appeared on Chutora's face, as if he had just realized what was happening, and then he plunged to the forest far below. Up above, Smith could only watch in helpless horror as the brown-furred Kai dog fell faster and faster, smashing multiple times into jutting out pieces of the cliff wall, slowing his momentum with every hit. Right before the bottom though, he began to tumble end over end from the downward force, and was sent careening into a jagged rock head first with an impact that made a sickening 'CRACK' echo off the trees and walls surrounding the area. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Chutora came to rest on the hard forest floor at the bottom of the cliff side, his body motionless as blood began pooling slowly around his broken form. For a moment up above, Smith couldn't even find his voice.

"CH-CHUTORA!" he screamed. "Shit! CHUTORA!"

The Kai Dog didn't respond. He didn't even move. Smith scanned the cliffside frantically with his eyes, looking for any way down at all. Behind him, the pups began whining and yipping, not understanding what was going on, and finally he whirled on them with an angry look.

"Quiet!" he snapped. "Both of you!"

To his surprise, the tiny young dogs did just that, silencing at once and giving him curious looks as if asking 'What did I do wrong?'. Momentarily satisfied, the Spaniel turned back to the cliff to resume his search and check on his gravely injured friend…only to find Chutora slowly regaining his feet, slipping in his own blood and wobbling sickly as he did. Smith could not see his face, for his head was tilted down, but he gave an involuntary laugh of relief, leaning over the edge slightly as he did.

"Oh my god!" he yelled in a shaky voice. "Chutora! Are you okay?"

There was no answer from his friend and up on his cliffside perch, Smith could see him lift his head and start looking around, as if to see where he was and how far he had fallen.

"Chutora!" he shouted. "Up here!"

Then the Kai Dog turned to him finally and Smith's relief died on the spot. His stomach did a backflip. Though Chutora's face was intact, albeit covered in his own blood, the elder Kai brother stared back at him with wide, crazed eyes, the tough but playful spark that always inhabited them having vanished entirely, replaced by a look that was simultaneously psychotic and lifeless and chilled Smith to the bone. Upon seeing him, Chutora's lips lifted in a bloody snarl and Smith took a step back in shock as his friend opened his mouth and let loose what the Spaniel could only later describe as a deranged, blood-curdling shriek, spit flying from his maw as he did. Then, when Smith didn't reply, the Kai dog turned and fled into the woods, his roaring and snarling growing faint and finally disappearing with him as he crashed through the underbrush and out of sight.

"Shit…" Smith breathed in horror. "Oh shit!"

Then he turned and fled quickly back towards the den, shouting at the pups to follow as he did. To his great relief, they did just that, and when he ran full speed up to the den a few minutes later, they were not far behind him and scampered inside to their mother, yipping the whole way. Outside though, Smith was greeted immediately by Gin, John, Akame, and Kurotora, all of whom looked concerned and confused as he skidded to a halt.

"Smith?" the Akita asked in a stern tone. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We heard your shouting all the way from here." Akame added, stepping up beside Gin as he did.

"Gin…" the Spaniel replied, panting from his run. "There's been an accident!"

The Ohu leader seemed to pale beneath his fur and Smith could tell that these were the exact words he had feared he would hear, and the last ones he wanted to.

"What accident?" Kurotora said in a voice devoid of strength. "Where the hell is my brother?"

"Show me." Gin demanded, cutting off the Spaniel's response. "Smith, SHOW ME!"

The older dog nodded frantically and immediately sprinted back towards the cliffside path, the others following closely behind as Kurotora shouted at Amaya to stay inside the den with their pups. During this, they ran faster than Smith could ever remember them running as a group, all of them staying right with him as he leapt around trees and back onto the rocky pathway he had been on only minutes before. By the time they reached the spot where Chutora had fallen, he was panting a mile a minute, his lungs burning for air as he stopped by the cliff's edge. Talking quickly, he told them what had happened and pointed to where the Kai dog had fallen, all of them rushing to the edge with him as soon as he had. Chutora's blood still sat pooled where he'd landed, and it's scent wafted sickeningly up to the Ohu dogs at the top of the cliff, its implications working on all their nerves as they turned to Smith quickly.

"And he just ran off?" Gin asked in a dead serious tone.

Smith nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "Into those trees. You should've seen his face, Gin. He looked…out of his mind."

"Why didn't you fucking grab him when he fell?" Kurotora shouted angrily, a scared note in his voice that amplified the Spaniel's guilt. "You were close enough you should've had him!"

"I was focusing on the pups!" Smith said defensively. "It all happened so fast!"

"Yeah, well – "

"Enough!" Akame snapped. "We need to get down there to find him…quickly!"

"There might be a path back near the den where we first arrived!" John said gruffly, taking the initiative and running off towards it as soon as the words had left his mouth.

Seeing this, the others immediately followed him, Smith trailing them in last, his eyes trying not to look at the spot on the ground far below where his friend had landed, where his blood soaked slowly into the ground beneath.

* * *

_Kill._

_ Kill._

_ Maim. Slay. Attack. Kill._

_ Must kill. It's my way. Must kill. It's my way. Must kill. It's my way…_

_ Kill._

_ My head is killing me. _

_ Where am I? What's happened? Who am I? Why does my head hurt so much?_

The sound of footsteps rustled through the trees as the Kai dog stood there panting, his forehead pressed up against the trunk of a nearby tree. Blood trickled and streamed down the crevices in the bark, pooling at his feet as a low rumbling growl escaped steadily from the ravages of his throat. The sunny day seemed to mock him with its beauty, its rays of light stabbing at his widened feral eyes as he turned his head towards the noise.

_Intruders? _

_ No No No No No NO NO NO NO!_

_ Intruders must die! They must ALL die! No one may enter but Kais! All intruders are FOOD. I can't think straight. Why the fuck does my head hurt so much?_

Another dog suddenly stepped into the clearing from the shadows of the trees on the opposite side, his ears and body straightening up in surprise as he laid eyes on the Kai dog.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice full of youth and a calm sense of caution. "Are you in charge here? My family and I want to ask permission to pass through this territory."

_Kill. Kill. Kill…_

The newcomer was a Golden Retriever, and his tail lowered in respect for the Kai dog as a female of his kind and 2 bouncing pups came up alongside him, all of them staring at the strange Kai dog expectantly as if waiting for an answer.

"We don't mean to trespass." the male said. "We just want safe passage. Is that okay with you if we pass on through?"

_Pups. _

_ Tasty pups. _

_ Squeal and squirm and scream and snap and squish – _

"Hello?" the retriever asked a little louder. "Can you hear me?"

A steady, low growl greeted his ears and the female turned to her mate.

"Sweetheart," she said nervously. "Let's just go. We're bothering him."

"But I don't want to be uncourteous – "

_Must kill. It's my way. Must kill. It's my way._

"Jasper, he looks sick. Let's go!"

"All right, all right! We'll go. Help me get the kids."

"Dad," one of the pups squeaked. "Is that guy sick? He smells funny."

"Vincent, behave yourself." the female scolded. "This isn't our territory. We have to be respectful."

"Thank you anyway." the male retriever, Jasper, said to the Kai dog. "We'll be on our way."

The growling continued and the Retriever frowned. The Kai dog's eyes looked almost crossed-eyed and vacant, as if there were nothing behind them.

"Hey, are you sure you're ok – "

The attack happened without warning. Before the sentence had even left his mouth, the Kai dog had launched himself across the distance between them and knocked him to the ground with a demonic sounding snarl. Then he began ravaging his face and neck, blood and tissue flying everywhere as the Retriever tried futilely to defend himself.

_You must die. This land must be purged. This is KAI dog land. Only I can be here. You're intruders. You must all die. _

The female screamed in terrified horror as the Kai dog bit deeply into her mate's neck with a 'SNAP' and his head separated from his body, rolling a few feet away as fountains of blood began spurting everywhere from the severed stump.

_Don't cry. You're next. You and your spawn shall join him in hell. _

_ Must kill. Must kill. Must kill. Must kill. Must kill. _

Then the Kai dog lunged at her too, blood dripping morbidly from his fur as his razor sharp fangs aimed at the screaming female and her whining, trembling pups. It took less than 30 seconds for them to get ripped to pieces entirely, their cries persisting all the way to the end. When it was all over an eerie silence fell over the clearing, the Kai dog still standing over their bodies as blood dripped from his brown fur onto the dirt below. Then, without a word, he turned and headed further into the trees, his instincts telling him that it was time to head home to his den…to his family.

_'Kill.' _Chutora thought, right before he vanished into the shadows. _'Kill…'_

* * *

Kurotora paced back and forth worriedly as darkness began to fall on Kai. His fear and doubt seemed to grow with each passing minute, and the lack of action from the others did nothing to assuage him at all. The group had spent hours trying to track Chutora down, fanning out to virtually every corner of the forest in an effort to pick up his trail, but had had no luck in finding him. Not even Smith's sensitive nose had detected any trace of him, and that very fact was increasing the younger Kai brother's worry a hundredfold as the waning hours of the day seemed to roll by unconcerned. Smith… Kurotora growled angrily under his breath. If the incompetent fool had actually caught his brother, as any of them would've done for him, then they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!

'That's not fair.' part of his subconscious scolded him in the back of his mind. 'Smith and Chutora are practically best friends. Blaming him for what was clearly an accident is just wrong.'

'I don't fucking care!' the other, stronger part snapped back. 'This is **his** fault. It's **both** of their faults! What the hell were they thinking being anywhere **near** that cliff?'

"Kurotora, if you keep pacing like that, you're going to wear a hole in the floor." John's voice sounded suddenly and the Kai dog snorted scathingly.

"Bite me, John!" he spat. "Maybe **you** can just fucking sit there and do nothing, but I sure as hell can't."

"Bite you?" the Shepherd scoffed in mild irritation. "Kuro, you need to calm down. We'll find him."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" the Kai dog hissed. "If you assholes spent **half** as much time looking as you do doing nothing, we would've found him by now!"

"Kurotora, stop it!" Amaya's voice snapped as John bristled angrily. "This isn't their fault and you know it! Now, there's no reason to fear the worst yet, so we **all** should stay calm and think this through."

By her side, Shiori lay trembling slightly, her fear resonating more than anyone else's there as her sister tried futilely to comfort her. Before any of them could say another word though, Akame spoke up from his position by the door.

"She's right." he said sagely. "We need to think this through carefully. Once Gin and Nagisa get back from their search we'll think of a plan to find him as quickly as possible."

Then the ninja dog turned to Smith, who sat quietly on the other side of the door opposite him.

"Smith," he said. "Tell us again. After Chutora fell, did he say or do anything that suggested where he was going?"

The Spaniel seemed to think for a minute, and then shook his head slightly.

"No." he said almost gently. "No. He just…shrieked up at me and then ran off into the trees. I was astounded that he was even still alive after a hit like the one he took so..."

"What exactly did he hit on the rock?" John asked. "His side? His back?"

"His head." the Spaniel replied in a subdued voice. "Hard. I heard the crack all the way from up top."

The room went silent at that and Kurotora stopped in mid-stride, his heart pounding relentlessly in his chest and his fear shifting into overdrive as he tried to process what he just heard. Behind him, Smith turned back to Akame.

"What if…" he said hesitantly, and it sounded like he was trying to choose his words with great care. "What if the damage is permanent? I mean…you guys didn't see his face."

"We shouldn't get into 'what ifs' right now, Smith." the Kishu said softly. "That won't get us anywhere."

"But it might help us figure out what to do." the Spaniel countered in the same quiet tone. "If that damage is permanent than he's never gonna have a normal life. Not like that. We need to figure out how to handle this quickly, because if we can't fix this, then…then he might be as good as gone."

That was the last straw for Kurotora. Turning with a full-throated snarl, he launched himself across the room at the Spaniel, smashing him into the cave wall moments later with a resounding 'THUD' and sending him flying to ground. Then he grabbed him by the neck and started slamming him repeatedly into the den floor, not caring for the moment that Smith had been completely and utterly unprepared for the attack and thus could only kick at him vainly in an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge him from his dominant perch. In truth, Kurotora was scared. Despite how angry he had gotten at Smith over the years, he had never wanted to physically hurt him during any of their numerous arguments and fights. After all, they **were **friends. This time though, the Spaniel had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. The ominous implication of his brother's head injury had slithered its way into the Kai dog's brain the second the words had left Smith's mouth, and every worst case scenario that he could think of immediately joined it, rooting themselves in his subconscious and taunting him incessantly, making him even more afraid than before. Now that he had attacked and couldn't take it back, he simply had no will to stop himself. Fortunately, Akame had far more self-control. Moving like a white missile, the ninja dog grabbed Kurotora's scruff in a vice-like grip and threw him hard into the opposing wall, standing in between him and Smith as soon as he had.

"Enough!" he bellowed loudly, shooting an angry look back and forth at both of them. "We can't afford this right now!"

Smith staggered to his feet as soon as this was said, a thick trail of blood streaming down his fur from his neck and temple. He shot Kurotora a withering glare.

"You weren't there." he spat in a low tone. "I know what I'm talking about better than you."

"I don't care who was where!" the Kai dog yelled back, John getting in front of him too. "You let him fall! You didn't catch him!"

"You don't think I tried?" Smith shouted furiously. "He's one of my best friends, you son-of-a-bitch!"

"All I know is that you're here and he's not!" Kurotora retorted. "You fill in the blanks!"

Smith shook his head, biting his lower lip hard in anger.

"You know, I feel really bad for those kids." he said gesturing over at the frightened pups before he could stop himself. "Regardless of what happened to Chutora, they've gotta put up with **you** for the rest of their lives. That's punishment enough as far as I'm concerned."

Kurotora roared in fury and lunged at him again, only getting about a foot before John grabbed him hard and held him back by force, his powerful jaws keeping the enraged Kai dog at bay. Akame did the same with Smith, and was about to say something else before another voice beat him to the punch.

"Stop it **now**!"

Everyone did just that and turned to face Gin as he walked slowly into the cave, his brown eyes shining with disappointment as he looked around at his friends. Once he'd reached their center, he stopped and looked over at Kurotora.

"I know you're worried." he said calmly, but with a deadly undertone. "So is everyone else. But what happened is no one's fault and you know it. I won't have you starting fights within this pack, you understand me?"

The Kai dog didn't meet his gaze, but nodded silently anyway, not watching as the Akita's glare turned on Smith.

"As for you," Gin said coldly, his eyes practically radiating displeasure. "That last remark was unfair and uncalled for. Don't let me hear you say something like that to one of your comrades again or you and I are going to have a problem. Do **you** understand?"

Smith looked ashamed of himself and nodded as well, turning his wounded gaze outside the den as Gin straightened up where he stood.

"Good." he said, acknowledging both of their answers before turning to the others. "Now instead of sitting here and getting at each other's throats, we should all be out looking for Chutora. We haven't found anything yet, but we're narrowing down our search area. If we all went out at once and worked together, we might find him faster."

"I agree, leader." Akame said, nodding to him as he released his grip on Smith. "He can't have gotten far with the injuries he must have received, so if we all go out as a group we should find him quickly."

"Let's go then!" John barked, letting go of Kurotora. "Doing nothing's not gonna get us anywhere!"

Gin allowed himself a small smile at his friend's eagerness and then turned and sprinted back out of the cave, followed closely by both the Shepherd and Akame. At the rear, Smith and Kurotora shot each other an angry look and then followed, the latter stopping to turn back to his family a few steps later.

"Amaya," he said in a subdued voice. "Stay here with the pups. We'll be back at some point."

"All right." the female Kai replied, sounding a little uneasy at everything she had just witnessed. "But be **careful** will you, Kuro?"

The dark-furred male smirked despite himself.

"I'll try." he said, and then added in a soft voice. "I love you."

She smiled gently at him.

"I know." she said. "Now go find your brother."

He nodded, then took a deep, ragged breath and sprinted off after his friends, disappearing around the bend and out of sight moments later.

* * *

"Chutora! God damn it! CHUTORA!"

Kurotora swore under his breath as silence was his answer again, his 5th sweep of the Eastern tier of their territory being as devastatingly unproductive as the last 4. It had begun to rain heavily in the last hour of his search, and though the storm above was diminishing his senses somewhat, he could hear the faint cries of his friends off in the distance as they yelled the same name, their tones telling him that they too were coming up empty as well. The younger Kai brother was beginning to get truly scared.

'Where the hell did you go, Chutora?' he wondered. 'Akame was right. You **can't** have wandered too far in your condition!'

Scenting the dank air, the dark furred Kai walked slowly in a circle, trying to pick up any trace of his brother's scent left amongst the water soaking the forest around him. There was Gin, he smelled…John…Akame…Smith…who the hell is **that**? Stopping in mid turn, he sniffed more deeply at the air and then frowned. The coppery scent of blood had teased at his nose, and with it a couple of other scents, one of which seemed almost familiar to him. Starting forward at a slow trot, he cautiously followed the smell of blood, hearing the voices of a few of the others getting closer as he did, and let it lead him through a tightly clumped grove of evergreens into a small clearing amongst the trees. The gap in the woods was only a few miles from where Chutora's fall had taken place and the moment Kurotora entered it, he came to a dead stop. On the ground at the far end was nothing short of a bloodbath. A family of what he guessed had once been golden retrievers lay strewn across the wet, pine needle covered dirt, their body parts laying in pools of blood and rainwater and scattered amongst one another so thoroughly that he was actually at a loss as to where one dog ended and another began. Standing over them, scanning the scene with expressions of combined horror and anger, were two dogs, and the moment Kurotora came to a stop one of them looked over at him with a snarl.

"Bastard!" one, the smaller of the two, spat angrily. "Come back to finish the job? You'll pay for this, you evil piece of shit!"

Kurotora felt his lips lift in a growl of his own.

"This is my territory!" he said dangerously. "What the hell are you doing in it? And what the fuck happened here?"

"I'll give **you** territory!" the first dog hissed and immediately made a move towards him, causing the prideful Kai dog to drop instantly into a battle stance.

As it turned out, it was a pointless action. The moment the smaller dog made his move, the larger one grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and restrained him, tossing him roughly a few feet behind him as soon as he had a good grip. Then he stepped in between them and gave Kurotora a hard, wide-eyed look.

"Kurotora?" he asked in a gruff voice. "Is that you?"

This got the Kai dog's attention, and he looked harder at his new opponent, struggling to see him clearly through the rain and growing darkness. The dog was a Belgian Shepherd, he saw, and was staring at him with a look of recognition that piqued Kurotora's curiosity in a big way. After a few moments, he smelled the same familiar scent from earlier on the dog and realized with a start who it was.

"Kouzou!" he barked, straightening up in wide-eyed surprise. "What are **you** doing here? And is that – "

"Ryou!" a new voice exclaimed and suddenly John was there, Gin, Akame, and Smith arriving as well on either side. "Is that you? Christ, kid, you're like a different dog altogether!"

Looking closer, Kurotora saw that the Shepherd was right. The dog he had almost fought with was indeed Ryou, and the Husky had filled out significantly since they'd seen him last. He was both taller and more muscular than he had once been and had a few battle scars on his chest that hadn't been there before. In truth, if John hadn't pointed out who he was, Kurotora doubted that he would have recognized him at all. Both dogs stepped forward to greet them.

"Gin!" Kouzou said, his tail wagging behind him. "I didn't know you all were in this area! It's been more than a year since you left Saitama!"

"A year and 2 months." Gin said with a small smile. "I know. What are **you** doing here, Kouzou? This isn't part of your territory."

"No, but these dogs were part of my pack." the Belgian Shepherd said, turning and walking back over to the dismembered bodies behind him. "We were following them to give them a message before they left. Instead we found this."

Gin frowned seriously and walked up beside him, Kurotora and the others joining him as he did.

"His name was Jasper." Ryou said in a subdued voice, gesturing to the largest of the bodies. "He and his family joined the pack after you all left. They were just…normal, friendly dogs. He was a good friend of mine."

Kouzou, meanwhile, glanced sideways at Gin.

"This is like Heizo all over again." he said and the Akita didn't reply, leaning down to sniff cautiously at the corpses instead as water dripped from his silvery fur.

The moment he had though, he straightened up quickly in shock and then leaned in and sniffed again, immediately looking Kurotora's way once he had. The Kai dog frowned at this and for a moment, it seemed as though the Ohu leader was at a loss for what to do. Eventually though, he turned back to the newcomers.

"Kouzou," he said in an almost shaky voice. "I think we should talk about this somewhere else. There's been an…incident…that my pack needs to deal with right now."

Kurotora maintained his frown. His friend was hiding something, he could tell, and it had to do with him. He'd be damned if he didn't figure out what it was. Growling under his breath, the prideful Kai dog stepped forward to one of the corpses and leaned in to sniff at it as well.

"Kuro, don't – !" Gin's protesting voice started to say, but it was too late.

Chutora's scent wafted up sickeningly to his sensitive nose from the ruins of the dog's body, and Kurotora froze where he stood, straightening up more slowly than Gin had before him. For a long time, he said nothing. Then he clenched his jaws together so tightly his teeth began to hurt.

"No." he said simply in his gravelly voice. "No, I don't believe it."

"Kuro – "

"My brother is **not** a killer!" the Kai dog insisted stubbornly, moving to another body and sniffing at that one too.

When that didn't get him the result he wanted, he moved on yet again, circling the killing scene almost 3 times before finally facing his friends with an angry look.

"Chutora wouldn't do this!" he yelled. "He's not that kind of male and you all damn well know it!"

The rest of the group looked at each other uncomfortably, their eyes wandering down to their paws as soon as they had broken their mutual glances. Behind them, Kouzou looked taken aback.

"Ch-**Chutora** did this?" he asked in a quiet voice and Kurotora immediately glared at him.

"No!" he barked simply, the anger in his voice still very much there.

A few moments later, Akame looked over at the Belgian Shepherd.

"Chutora had an accident earlier today and hit his head in the process." he said gravely. "Judging from this and everything else we've heard…it sounds like that blow may have caused a personality change."

"How?" John asked warily from his position by Gin.

"I don't know." the Kishu answered. "But I've seen it happen before. Severe enough head injuries can cause everything to go haywire. A dog might not recognize his friends or family, turn violent, not remember his own name…his whole personality could change entirely. If Chutora really did hit his head hard enough in that fall…he **could **have done this."

Kurotora's face slackened, and he seemed to be struggling to come up with an alternate scenario in his head. When that failed, he settled for looking at Akame pleadingly.

"B-But you can fix it, right?" he demanded. "Even if this **was **him, and I don't think it fucking was, you can still fix him…right Akame?"

The Kishu looked at him sympathetically.

"Kurotora," he said hesitantly. "I…"

"**Can** you fix it?"

Akame and Gin exchanged a look and the ninja dog sighed.

"I won't know until I examine him." he said, and Kurotora had this nagging suspicion that he was being told what he wanted to hear. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Well, we can't examine him 'til we catch him." John said. "Now where would he go from here?"

"Impossible to tell." Akame replied and Kurotora sighed in disgust, looking at the ground as Smith turned to Gin across from him.

"Gin," the Spaniel said. "What are we gonna do when we **do** catch him? I mean, he's not gonna come quietly and we can't **kill** him!"

"We'll figure that out when we find him, Smith." The Akita responded but then Kouzou cut in as well.

"He has a point, Gin." the Belgian Shepherd said. "If he's **that** badly damaged, then you may have to use deadly force just to get him under control."

"Kouzou," Gin said in a deliberately calm voice. "I know you're concerned but this is an internal matter. Please stay out of it."

"It stopped being an internal matter when your packmate butchered 4 of mine." the elder dog retorted in an equally calm voice. "Now I appreciate that you're in a terrible situation, and I still owe you all for helping my pack before…but regardless of who he is, Chutora killed 4 of my dogs and he's going to have to answer for that."

Gin seemed to grimace where he sat and John immediately turned his ears forward challengingly.

"Hey!" he barked sternly. "Back off!"

Kouzou immediately said something else, but whatever it was, Kurotora didn't hear. While the conversation had been taking place, he had been sorting through his own chaotic thoughts and trying desperately to figure out where his wounded brother would go. And right as John had made his displeasure known, that's when the Kai dog's eye had fallen on one of the dead pups. He had stiffened immediately and looked at its mutilated corpse more closely, his one good eye widening in horror as he suddenly realized what direction it had led Chutora in after the murders were over.

"Oh my god…" he breathed.

What the elder Kai brother had killed was a family. That fact alone would've put that very concept into his brother's damaged mind, no matter what state it was in. He would've left this place thinking about that very subject. And families meant dens…families meant home.

"He's going back to the den…" he said aloud in slowly increasing horror as the argument around him persisted. "Gin, he's going back to the den!"

Then, as the Akita turned away from the argument to acknowledge him, Kurotora turned and ran full speed away from his friends, pumping his legs hard as he heard them struggle to chase after him, trying desperately to get back to his family before the unthinkable happened.

* * *

Amaya flinched as another bolt of lightning split the sky, it's brief but intense illumination allowing her to see the almost palpable worry on her sister's face for a split second before they were plunged into darkness in the cave again. She could feel her pups nursing at her belly as she lay there, but for the moment, she wasn't thinking of them. A feeling a dread had been sitting like a weight in the back of her mind ever since Kurotora and his friends had left to go searching for Chutora, and short of being able to shake it, it had seemed to grow stronger as the night grew blacker and the rain kept falling around them.

"Wh-What if he – " Shiori suddenly started in a shaky voice but Amaya immediately cut her off.

"Hush!" the female Kai barked softly to her sister. "Kuro and the others will find him. Have a little faith, Shiori."

"But he's been gone almost a **day** now, Amaya." the younger female protested. "What if they can't find him?"

"Shiori," Amaya snapped. "Shut **up**!"

The younger Kai silenced immediately with a wounded look and the pups began to whine at the loud noise, making both females lean down to calm them with soothing licks. Amaya looked at her sister.

"I'm sorry, Shiori." she said quietly. "It's just that…I feel like something's wrong…and I don't know what it is. I have a really bad feeling."

"Wrong how?" Shiori asked quaveringly. "Does it have to do with Chutora?"

"I don't know," Amaya replied. "I – "

There was another flash of lightning and Amaya stood up quickly. She could've sworn she had seen movement outside the cave, but when she looked again, there was nothing there. Still though, the feeling persisted, growing stronger by the minute. Finally, she could take it no longer.  
"Nagisa!" she called and the Spitz was immediately by her side.

"Yes, Ma'am?" she asked.

Amaya looked at her seriously.

"Round up your guards and take all of our pups down to shelter in the valley." she said. "Quickly."

Nagisa looked confused.

"You want me to take them out in this storm, Amaya-san?" she asked incredulously and the female Kai growled at her.

"NOW, Nagisa!" she snapped and the Spitz nodded immediately, rounding up her nearby guards quickly once she did.

Then they gathered up all the whining, protesting pups and disappeared out the entrance with them, vanishing around the bend and out of sight moments later. Shiori turned to her sister in shock once she had.

"Amaya," she said loudly. "What are you **doing**? They can't be out in this storm!"

"Shiori – " the elder female started to say, but then stopped in mid-sentence.

A series of lightning flashes had just occurred outside the den, and their light had revealed a shadowed figured moving slowly towards the entrance, stumbling slightly as if sickened and disoriented. Amaya's ears perked up instantly and her lips lifted slightly in the beginnings of a growl. Her danger senses were screaming full bore at her but as much as she wanted to take action, something held her back. A few moments later, when the figure finally padded slowly and deliberately into the den entrance did she understand what it was. His scent revealed him for who he was.

"Chutora!" Shiori cried in delight, and immediately rushed to her mate's side, nuzzling his chest and neck as soon as she had. "Where **were** you, you idiot? I was so worried!"

Then though, a bolt of lightning, brighter than the others, lanced across the night sky and Amaya finally saw her brother-in-law's face clearly. Her blood ran cold. On either side of his muzzle were two wide, terrifyingly lifeless eyes, their glints reflecting the same amount of light as the ones coming off his fangs, which were bared wide in a noiseless snarl underneath lifted lips dripping spit and blood. In fact, the whole front of the male Kai's body was covered in the coppery smelling liquid, and it took only a few seconds for Amaya to realize what was going to happen. It was a few seconds too long. Moving faster than she had ever seen him move, Chutora suddenly grabbed Shiori by the back of the neck and wrenched her head hard to the right, making a sickening wet 'SNAP' echo off the cave walls. Moments later, the younger female Kai slumped to the ground motionless.

"SHIORI!" Amaya screamed in horror.

Then Chutora was on her too. As she was bowled over onto her back and bloody fangs tore at her in a frenzy, all she could think about was Kurotora, and how happy she could've been raising a family of her own.

'Kurotora…' she thought with her last bit of strength. 'Kurotora, my love…'

Then the world went away, and everything was silent.

* * *

Kurotora nearly tripped over a log as he reached the cliffside path that led to the den, his lungs burning from the long run he had just taken to get to where he was. In the forest behind him, he could hear the sounds of the others as they struggled to catch up, startled as they'd been by his sudden departure, but he had absolutely no patience to wait. Feeling his claws gripping the wet gravel beneath him, he sprinted up the path as fast as he could move, rainwater blinding his vision as he got closer and closer to where his family awaited him.

"AMAYA!" he shouted as he got closer to the top. "Amaya, are you there?"

There was no answer and he rounded the bend at a full run, sprinting towards the den entrance as soon as it came into view. Suddenly though, a figure emerged from it confines and the dark-furred Kai dog came to a grinding halt. His heart leapt into his throat and his next words died swiftly on his tongue. It was Chutora, and the blood that clearly covered him did not do any favors for Kurotora's fragile state of mind. At that moment though, he had no time to think about it.

"Ch-Chutora!" he yelled in a far less powerful voice. "Stop!"

The elder Kai dog didn't even break stride. Increasing his pace, Chutora moved instead directly towards his brother, his wide, feral eyes visible even in the dim light.

"Where's Amaya?" Kurotora said frantically. "Where are my kids? AMAYA!"

The first blow came as a complete shock to him. As soon as Chutora reached his position and Kurotora turned to face him, the brown-furred Kai dog immediately tackled him hard from the front, his razor sharp fangs sinking deep into his brother's shoulder and neck as he did. Kurotora fell onto his back with a yelp of surprise, throwing his elder sibling off only after gouging him in the eye with his claw. Then he stumbled back.

"Chutora!" he shouted. "It's me! Kurotora! I'm your brother!"

The elder Kai didn't listen for moment. Letting out the deranged shriek that Smith had described, he launched himself at his darker-furred opponent with a terrifying ferocity, making Kurotora stand there in horror as he finally saw that his friends had been right all along. Before Chutora could reach him though, a black and white shape came flying in from the side and barreled into the deranged dog as hard as it could, sending them both rolling away in the rain-soaked dirt as a result. It was Smith. Kurotora snapped out of his reverie long enough to see the two males come together with twin snarls and begin savagely ripping at each other as soon as they had, their brutality echoing mortal enemies instead of close friends. Then he too launched himself into the fray, jumping on Chutora's thrashing form and getting slashed across the stomach as he tried to get his brother away from the bleeding Smith. Before he could though, the Spaniel was smacked hard across the face and went down, making Kurotora panic and fight harder, ripping Chutora's legs out from under him and kicking him away from his friend with a pained grunt. That's when the others arrived.

John and Gin immediately leapt on Chutora with devastating force and Akame attacked from behind, all of them being hit by indiscriminate slashes and bites from the Kai dog as they dragged him shrieking and snarling to the ground. Then Kurotora himself leapt back into the fight alongside Smith and helped to subdue their crazed comrade, immobilizing his legs as their friends pinned the rest of him down, making the final result look more like a writhing pile of limbs and heads then anything else. Throughout it all, Chutora growled and screamed, never once uttering a coherent word as he tried everything in his power to get free and resume the attack, something the others dissuaded him from doing by force. Finally, Akame bit down on the Kai dog's throat hard and cut off his airway, holding his powerful grip until the thrashing stopped and Chutora was unconscious. For the moment it seemed, he was under control. Kurotora immediately untangled himself from the pile and ran at the den.

"Amaya!" he yelled. "Answer me! Amaya!"

There was no answer and the moment he entered the cave, the smell of blood assaulted his nostrils, making him move faster…until he saw what was inside.

"NO!" he screamed in an unusually high-pitched voice. "NOOO! FUCK! NOOOOOOOO!"

Amaya lay dead near the back wall of the cave, her face and throat torn to ribbons and leaking blood like a faucet all over the stone floor. Beside her was the broken form of Shiori, who had been savaged all over by someone's fangs until she was virtually unrecognizable. Falling onto his stomach in front of them, the Kai dog gasped and trembled, gagging a few times before finally stumbling to throw up in the corner of the room, trying as hard as he could not to look at his mate's body. Then he felt a tentative paw rest on his shoulder. Whirling around with a growl, he bit hard at the face of whoever it was…and found himself pressed up against the wall in a fierce embrace. It was Gin who had come to comfort him and behind him, standing in front of the others, were Nagisa and all 7 of the puppies, the whole group having obviously just arrived back from wherever they'd been. The young dogs all sat in a row, their views of the carnage blocked by Kouzou and Ryou, and looked up at their father and uncle inquisitively, as if asking him what they were supposed to do now. That was the last straw for Kurotora. Clenching his remaining eye shut, he collapsed into Gin's hug and started to sob, the Akita holding him tightly with one front leg and not letting him go. Behind him, the others all kept their distance and looked on the scene in saddened silence, the happiness of the day before seeming like a distant memory in their minds.

* * *

The silence that seemed to fall over Kai was suffocating. In the aftermath of the deaths of Amaya and Shiori, Kouzou and Ryou had sympathetically bid them farewell, and the weary, saddened group had moved to an alternate location, so as not to give the grieving Kurotora a constant reminder of the fate of his mate and her sister. Chutora was being kept in a near catatonic state by Akame, powerful herbs working on his system as Gin and the others waited patiently for any news on his condition, and if it could be reversed. Smith listened to everything around him closely as he lay by the wall of their new base, his gaze falling sympathetically on Kurotora as he played half-heartedly with the pups, who scampered around as if nothing was wrong at all. By the entrance of the cave, Gin and John sat talking in low voices, their body languages conveying the tenseness of the scene well despite their attempts to hide it. Smith rested his head on his front legs.

How had everything gone so suddenly wrong? It was only 2 days ago that everyone was happy and ready to start a new chapter of their lives, but through one careless moment that chapter was now destroyed. Chutora's fall played over and over again in his head like a skipping record, and he constantly wondered now whether he **could've** caught him. Maybe if he'd moved a little faster. Maybe if he hadn't delayed that 1 more second. The Spaniel shook his head. This was all so wrong. Hadn't they been through enough already? Suddenly, Akame came out of the back room in the cave, separated from the outer, larger one by a small opening in the rock. It was in there that Chutora lay out of everyone's sight, and as the Kishu walked past him, Smith could see a moistness around his eyes that told him everything he needed to know. The Spaniel clenched his eyes shut tightly in sadness. Moments later, Akame joined Gin and John, and as Kurotora walked up to them and the Kishu started to speak, every word he uttered Smith somehow knew he was going to say.

"Akame," Kurotora asked in a stiff but concerned voice. "How is he?"

The Kishu sighed deeply.

"He…" he said softly, and it sounded to Smith as though he was choosing his words carefully. "He has severe brain damage from hitting his head on the rock. The herbs I've been giving him were a last-ditch effort to try and repair some of that damage. It's not working."

The dark-furred Kai took a deep, ragged breath in frustration.

"Okay." he said, taking it all in. "So…So what now? What's the next step?"

Akame and Gin exchanged a saddened glance.

"There...is no next step, Kurotora." the Kishu said in the same soft voice. "The damage is irreversible. There's…There's nothing I can do."

Kurotora opened his mouth and then closed it again. His eyes darted back and forth on the ground between his friend's paws and it seemed to Smith as though he were trying to process what he'd just heard.

"Are you telling me he's gonna stay that way forever?" he asked in a quavering voice. "Is that what you're saying to me?"

"…Yes." Akame answered quietly. "His personality is completely gone, he'll be a danger to anyone around him, and after a while he'll have a hard time feeding himself or even going to the bathroom. You'll pretty much have to keep him in the state he's in now for the rest of his life."

Kurotora looked completely lost, like he didn't even know what to do anymore.

"Th-There has to be **something**, Akame." he said desperately. "Please…"

"There isn't." the Kishu said, and Smith heard his voice crack a little. "Kuro, I'm so sorry…"

The Kai dog turned away and clenched his eye shut, struggling to keep his emotions in check as Gin took a tentative step forward.

"This is your decision, Kurotora." he said gently. "Whatever you want to do, we'll respect."

The dark-furred canine swallowed hard and turned back to them, only speaking after a long pause.

"My brother, he…" he said hoarsely. "He's a warrior of Ohu, of Kai. We grew up together. And I know…I know that he wouldn't ever want to live…like this."

All 3 of them flinched slightly at this, but it was clearly the answer they had been expecting.

"All right." Akame said. "I know of some other plants I could use, Kurotora, if you want. It would be painless – "

"No." the Kai dog cut him off, his voice sounding hollow. "I'll do it. Just…Just give me a few minutes."

Then he turned and walked back to his children, the three leaders watching him as he left. As soon as he was out of earshot, John turned to Gin.

"Gin, we can't let him do this." he whispered intensely. "I've never seen him so broken before."

"It's his decision, John." the Akita replied in an equally soft voice. "We have to respect that."

"Gin, his mate just died." the Shepherd insisted. "That's gonna be hard enough for him to deal with. If he puts Chutora down himself, he'll have to live with those images the rest of his life. The guilt alone would kill him."

The Akita was silent for a moment, but then shook his head again.

"It's not our call." he said stubbornly and John didn't pursue it further, leaning back to sit in his original position once more.

Smith glanced over at Kurotora from where he lay. John was right, he thought. There's no way his friend would survive having to do that. He was destroyed enough emotionally as it was. Maybe he could talk Gin into Akame doing it instead, for Kurotora's sake. No. If John had failed, then there was certainly no way the Akita would listen to him instead. And Akame, he knew, would go along with whatever plan Gin decided he wanted to honor. There was no way of stopping this. Unless… The Spaniel shook his head hard.

'No…' he thought. 'I can't. I just can't. I…'

But when he looked over at Kurotora again, nosing gently at his tiny pups with a sad, teary-eyed smile, he knew what he had to do. Standing up slowly, Smith moved like a shadow into the back cave, glancing once over his shoulder to make sure that no one had seen him. Once inside, he saw Chutora lying near the back wall, his eyes closed and his side rising and falling slowly as if he were sleeping. Immediately, Smith moved towards him. His legs felt like lead weights with each step he took, and when he arrived at his friend's side and looked down at him, he almost turned and ran back out of the room. Something unspoken kept him there though, and when he looked at Chutora's sleeping face, he hated himself more than he ever had before.

"I know you can't hear me." he said softly to his friend. "And I know you wouldn't understand if you could. But I wanted you to know…I'm sorry. I should've caught you. I should've been faster. And because we were both fools, now you're gone."

He paused, glancing again over his shoulder. Then he turned back and continued.  
"Your brother's about to come in here and end your suffering." he said. "But that's gonna kill him and I can't let that happen, no matter what Gin says. I hope one day that you both can forgive me, because no matter what happens…you're my friend. I wanted you to know that, Chutora."

The brown-furred Kai dog didn't reply, and Smith stepped forward with a noiseless sigh, clamping his jaws down tightly on the limp dog's throat as he did. Then he took one last look at his friend's face.

"God forgive me." he whispered.

Then he bit down as hard as he could on the Kai dog's windpipe. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then though, Chutora gagged in his sleep and started thrashing his legs, kicking out at his unseen attacker to try and dislodge his grip on him. Smith held firm. A flying paw hit him in the eye hard and he could feel it start to swell, but still he kept his grip where it was. After a minute or so of thrashing, Chutora started to cease his movements and the sounds of his growled gasps for air began to subside. Finally, as Smith tightened his hold, his movements stopped altogether and his body went limp as a rag doll. It was two full minutes after this that the Spaniel finally released his bite and stood back up. The dog that lay beneath him was still and silent as the grave. Chutora of Kai was dead. Rolling him gently back into his previous position, Smith then turned and exited the cave with a stiff stride, walking right past the unsuspecting John and Akame and out the front entrance of the cave. Once outside, he stumbled over to a nearby bush and vomited into the underbrush, breathing heavily once he had.

"Smith? You okay?"

The Spaniel stiffened visibly at the voice. He had recognized it immediately and when he turned to its owner, he tried desperately to not to look him in the face out of shame.

"Yeah, Gin." he replied in a hoarse whisper. "I'm fine."

The Akita gave him a suspicious look but before he could say anything, there was an uproar from within the cave. Turning his head quickly, Gin saw Akame run out to him with a grave expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Gin," the Kishu replied. "Chutora's dead. It looks like he just stopped breathing somehow. Kurotora's a mess."

Gin seemed to pale beneath his fur and then immediately looked right at Smith, his horrified expression shaming the Spaniel more than any words ever could. Akame frowned slightly and leaned in closer.

"Leader." he said. "Do you want me to take charge inside?"

Gin didn't respond for a moment and kept his gaze on Smith. Then he nodded.

"Yes, Akame." he said voice that seemed forcefully calm. "Please do that."

The Kishu nodded and ran back into the cave, disappearing from sight seconds later. The moment he had, Gin walked forward with a furious look and grabbed Smith roughly by the side of the neck with his jaws, nearly dragging him away from the cave until they were well out of earshot of any of the others. Then the Akita threw his friend hard into a nearby tree and immediately got in his face.

"Tell me you didn't." he said in a voice that practically dripped with anger. "You look me in the eye right now and you tell me you didn't."

Smith clenched his eyes shut and looked at the ground.

"Gin…" he said. "I…"

"What the **hell** is wrong with you?" the Akita screamed. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?"

"I couldn't let him suffer."

"THAT WASN'T YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE!"

"IT WASN'T **YOURS** EITHER!"

Both of them silenced instantly. For a minute, they stared at each other, panting hard. Finally, Smith's posture slumped, and he gave Gin a defeated look.

"John was right." he said softly. "Killing Chutora would've killed Kurotora. He would've lost all will to live. I had already killed one of them by not reacting in time. I wasn't going to let that happen again."

Gin's eyes widened and when he spoke, it was only after a very long pause and a tired sigh.

"You listen to me," he said, walking right up to Smith's face. "And you listen to me right now. What happened to Chutora was **not your fault**. You hear me? It wasn't your fault."

"I didn't catch him…"

"You tried." Gin said. "And that's what matters, Smith. What you just did in there…I'm going to have a hard time forgiving you for. But I'm going to try as hard as I can because I see in your eyes that you meant well. I'm also going to keep the truth from Kuro, because I know for a fact that he would never forgive you. But what I am NOT going to do…is stand here and watch you destroy yourself with guilt because of something that was not your fault."

Smith didn't even know what to say, and stubbornly tried to hold back his tears as he heard Gin's words. Then, off in the distance, someone started howling. Soon other voices joined in, and both males realized that it was their comrades back at the cave howling in Chutora's memory. Gin looked his friend in the eye.

"Lift your voice, Smith." he said. "Regardless of what happens from here, for the moment at least…we agree on something."

Then he lifted his head and howled as well, Smith joining in a few moments later. Their calls carried for miles, lilting on the breeze over Kai and eulogizing a friend gone too soon.

* * *

_"Kurotora, are you sure about this?" _

_ "Yes," the sole remaining Kai brother answered in a determined voice. "It's the only way."_

_ He looked over at his puppies, tussling with each other in the bright morning sunlight. _

_ "They can't ever know what he did." he said. "I won't have them growing up with that on their consciences. My brother's legacy will not be as a killer."_

_ "This still seems a little extreme, Kuro."_

_ "I mean it." the Kai dog said in a determined voice. "No one is to speak of Chutora again. Not to them, not to anyone. If anyone says a word about him it'll be me. To the rest of the world…it'll be as though he never existed."_

_ "He's still their father. What if they ask about him when they're older?"_

_ "I'll tell them what he was like." came the answer. "But not about this. We're the only ones that will ever know the truth. This is my decision, and I'm asking you to respect it."_

_ "…we will."_

Gin sighed as the remembered exchange went through his head again, his friend's request proving harder to accept than he had thought. It had only been that morning that Kurotora had made the unusual request of them, and now that they had decided to stay for a few weeks and help support him in his newfound single-parent role, they had no choice but to accept his strange way of protecting his children, no matter what they thought of it. The Akita felt the afternoon breeze tease at his fur as he sat on the cliffside overlooking Kai, and the myriad of thoughts that ran through his head all seemed strangely nostalgic, something he never would've suspected of someone so young.

It had only dawned on him that day how much things had truly changed for the Ohu Army in the few years since the great battle against Akakabuto had come to an end. They had seemed so many then, so fearsome and indestructible. But now they were so very few, and so fragile. Great…Bill…Wilson…Zach…Chutora… All of them were gone in one way or another, and with Kurotora leaving for good to raise his family, his once numerous group of friends had dwindled down to only 3. The Akita shook his head. He couldn't dwell on the past. However much he missed his friends, however much he wished for things to be the way they used to be, he was still the leader of Ohu, and he had a pack to lead back home. Things would certainly be different in Ohu from then on, but they would have to adapt and face it together…because he was damn well not going to let one more friend slip away from his grasp. They had survived their darkest hour mostly intact, and that meant that they could weather any storm. He breathed in the afternoon air. There was no sign of any inclement weather on the horizon, or any danger to threaten them. The skies from now on seemed clear.

"Gin," John's irritated voice called. "Can you help me out here? I fucking hate kids!"

Gin chuckled to himself and stood. The sun shone brightly in the sky over Kai and his friends would be out hunting pretty soon, catching food for 7 hungry new mouths.

'It would be pretty inconsiderate of me not to help them out.' he thought.

And with that, he turned and bounded away, vanishing over a hill as he sprinted back to where his friends were, where the family who needed him waited patiently for his return.


	13. Final Story: The War, Part 1

**Author's Note: **Story 13! Well, the 1st part of it anyway. This is sort of a "setting up the story" chapter, but I'm actually really happy with how it came out and I hope that I did the time jump justice. Because the format of this is different, the chapters will probably be shorter than the full length stories, but the full story itself will obviously be longer than the others so it's kind of a trade off. I hope you guys like this and stay tuned for the other chapters I plan to upload to this story. I promise I'll try and make the wait worth it! Thanks a lot to everyone who reads this and please review!

Thank you to Nekonotaishou, Nahualmorph, Katana, & Misty-Nala for reviewing the last chapter!

* * *

**-Part 1: The Nomads-**

The island of Kyushu was a windy place. With the exception of Okinawa, it was the furthest South in the country and sat squarely at Japan's southern tip, often being overlooked by those who wandered the inland mains and the forests and mountains that dotted its landscape. As a result, it was quite often regarded in one of two ways: either an unremarkable and undesirable side trip, or a forgotten Eden; a temperate, peaceful place that served as a perfect home to those who lived there. One who thought of it as the latter was local boss dog Henry the Third, and he felt a great rush of pride for his island home every time he explored its confines, not regretting in the slightest that his territory wasn't bigger. Closing his eyes instinctively as he stretched his neck and back, the Fukuoka Prefecture leader lifted his drooping muzzle and breathed in the fall air, a tinge of coldness to the breeze that served as a subtle warning of winter's imminent arrival.

Down away from the hillside where he'd been resting, his packmates and family were conversing with each other merrily, their demeanor almost carefree as they prepared for the afternoon hunt. He smiled lightly to himself. Life had been largely uneventful in the years since the war against Akakabuto had come to an end, and though in his youth he would've despised that, craving action above all else, now he greatly appreciated it. Battle was for other dogs, and he was more than ready to just be a father and teach a new generation of young males and soldiers. Stretching himself once more, the brown-furred mutt walked casually down to his loyal pack, nodding brief greetings at a few before striding up to his mate and gently nuzzling her neck.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, seeing her take her eyes off of their playing pups to turn to him.

"Very." she smiled, returning the affectionate gesture. "I'm glad too. Looks like winter's coming early this year. We may have to stockpile some food for the others."

"I was just about to get Ryota on it." Henry answered. "The sooner this is over with the better as far as I'm concerned."

"Why?" his mate asked with a tilt of her head. "There hasn't been any trouble in the area has there?"

Before the Fukuoka leader could answer, a voice called out his name from behind him, making him glance over his shoulder in reply and turn to greet the voice's owner as they trotted up to him.

"Sir," the dog, his Dalmatian subordinate Ryota, said with a dignified nod. "We've got a couple dogs coming in from the eastern border. They say they want to talk to you."

"Who are they?" Henry asked and the other male shook his head.

"Don't know." he said, turning to walk with him towards the other end of the clearing they were in. "Nobody I've ever seen before, sir. We were gonna turn them away right off the bat, but one of them said he knew you."

"Me?" Henry repeated with a frown and Ryota nodded again.

"Yes sir." he replied. "Says his name's Jacim."

Henry looked at the ground slightly, searching his mind for anyone he'd ever known by that name. It didn't sound familiar to him, but still… He looked up at Ryota.

"How many of them are there?" he asked in a serious tone and the Dalmatian gave him a reassuringly confident smile.

"Just two sir." he said. "If they attack, we can easily take them down."

Henry agreed and gave an affirming nod.

"Bring them over." he said and walked over to where the small group was coming from, a certain power radiating from his every stride that only pack leaders possessed.

From a pathway that led into the more mountainous area of the island, two of his perimeter guards appeared escorting two strangers, both of them walking casually as though nothing terribly important required their attention at the moment. As they came to a stop in front of him, Henry gave them a once-over with his gaze, taking in their scents as the same time with his sensitive nose. Both of the newcomers were male, he could see, and both were quite large. The one that stood on the left was a Norwegian Elkhound, or at least that's what Henry thought he was. His fur was jet black and he stood with the aura of a dog that was no stranger to the harsh ways of the wild. His dark brown eyes held a strange glint in them, and Henry didn't much like the way he appeared to be sizing him up as they studied each other. The other male to his right, however, was something different entirely. He was very tall and had a powerful looking, battle-scarred form that made the Fukuoka leader think that he had almost definitely been a soldier at one point. What breed he was though, was anyone's guess. Though he looked reminiscent of a German Shepherd, in both coloring and body type, his head and face looked almost wolfish, and the broad, almost poisonously saccharine smile he wore seemed to augment his gleaming hazel eyes, making them seem to almost shine in the afternoon light. Henry stood straighter and looked back and forth between the two of them.

"I'm Henry the Third." he said. "The boss dog of this territory. I was told that one of you knew me. What is it you want here?"

The Elkhound nodded immediately at him.

"Please forgive our trespass, my friend." he said in a disarmingly calm, smooth voice. "I'd like to borrow your time for a moment if I could."

Henry frowned, not expecting such cordiality.

"My time?" he repeated blankly. "Are you Jacim?"

The dog inclined his head again.

"Indeed I am." he said and then nodded at the Shepherd-looking dog. "And this is…a comrade of mine. We're travellers of sorts, and we've come looking for strong males to join us in our travels. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?"

"I'm afraid not." the Fukuoka leader said sternly. "My pack needs all its members for this coming winter and we can't afford to lose any. Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can respect that." Jacim said, taking a few steps sideways as he lifted his head to look around at the hills and woods around them. "After all, this is quite a beautiful territory. It would be terrible indeed if something were to happen to it."

Then he looked over and saw Henry's mate and pups and his face immediately seemed to light up.

"Oh, forgive me!" he said and the same smile from before returned to his face. "I hadn't realized you had a mate and children here. How truly rude of me not to introduce myself."

And with that, he stepped forward and bowed his front, straightening up again only after saying:

"Jacim of Hiroshima, ma'am. This is quite the beautiful home you have here."

Henry immediately leapt back over his mate's side, getting in between her and the strange dog as his annoyance and unease began slowly to rise.

"You have no business here." Henry said with a warning glare. "Take your friend and leave right now."

"Oh, but I do." came the calm-voiced answer. "You see, recruiting soldiers **is** my business, and I've found that we have a rather pressing need for strong males to aid us in a very important mission. If you and your pack would oblige…I'm sure I could make it worth your while."

"For the last time," Henry said, his lips lifted into a small growl. "NO. Now I'm not going to tell you again to leave. Do it now or you and I are gonna have a problem."

Jacim sighed in what looked like carefully feigned disappointment.

"Very well." he said, conceding defeat. "Have it your way. We were never here."

Then, as he turned to walk back over to his comrade, he stopped and turned back to Henry.

"Oh, just one more thing though." he said and Henry narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he said in an irritated, deadpan voice.

Jacim leaned in slightly.

"You have a beautiful family." he said. "You should be proud of them."

"Thank you." Henry replied.

"You ever wonder," Jacim said, not even pausing. "What it would be like to watch them die?"

Henry went numb. He quickly looked the other male right in the eyes and saw quickly that Jacim's entire demeanor had changed on a dime. His look had gone from annoyingly friendly to positively predatory, and his eyes stared back with a glare as sharp as a knife. Henry backed up quickly, trying to shove his family back into their den. The Elkhound merely followed them with his eyes, not moving a muscle from where he stood.

"'Cause if you can't show us mercy and compassion in our time of need," he said, keeping his voice in the same calm tone it had been in the whole time. "Then we certainly can't show it to you either…can we brothers?"

As if on cue, dogs suddenly began streaming out of the woods as if they had been watching the whole time, and Henry saw his pack back up into a circle as a group of powerful looking dogs cornered them against a hillside. The Fukuoka leader began to panic. Keeping his gaze on Jacim, he turned his head slightly towards his family.

"Chiyo," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Take the kids and get out of here now!"

"But I –"

"NOW!"

Chiyo let out a sob and immediately did as he said, grabbing one of their pups in her jaws as she did. Before she could get even 5 steps though, a large shape shot out of a nearby treetop and delivered a devastating blow to the back of her head, making her crumple in midstride and flop to the ground motionless as the pup tumbled from her jaws and rolled to a halt a few feet away, whining in protest at the fall. Then the figure danced away into the shadows of the pack's den and seemed to stand at attention as Henry let out a bark of horror.

"CHIYO!" he shouted and immediately whipped his head around, looking for her attacker.

Then he was suddenly hit from the front with bone-crunching force, feeling something crack deep within his chest as the impact landed right against his ribcage. Falling onto his back with an involuntary grunt of pain, the Fukuoka leader felt a large paw step almost casually down onto his throat and effectively pin him, the weight behind it ensuring that he would not move easily. When he looked up at its owner, he saw with a thrill of fear and surprise that it was the Shepherd-looking dog, who finally had moved at long last after having remained all but motionless during the entire encounter. The dog seemed to cock his head in curiosity as he looked down at Henry, and after staring at him silently for a long time, he looked up at the shadowed dog in the den entrance.

"Thank you, Mercy." he said in a surprisingly soft-spoken voice that, despite its deep, almost melodic tone, sounded like he had lost the habit of using it. "I appreciate your efforts."

Though he was upside-down to Henry as he looked behind him from his ground position, the shadowed dog merely nodded in reply and then was silent, leaving the Fukuoka leader time to turn his attention back to his immediate captor. The Shepherd-looking dog breathed in deeply and then exhaled after a moment's pause, looking down at him again as he did. He stroked Henry's cheek almost gently with the back of his paw.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked quietly as Henry recoiled from his touch. "No? Well, I know you, brother."

"Wh-Who…are…" Henry gasped, struggling to breathe.

"My name is Draven." the dog said immediately, and rolled his shoulders with a dull crack as he maintained the pressure on Henry's neck. "And having seen you and your pack up close I must confess I'm disappointed."

"What? …Wh-Why?"

"Because you don't believe." Draven replied in the same soft-spoken hiss.

Henry frowned in confusion through his gasps for air, still trying unsuccessfully to move the huge male's paw off him.

"What are you t-talking about?" he demanded, struggling to move under the weight.

"Shh…Shh…Shh!" Draven silenced him with an unnerving smile, sounding almost as if he were comforting a frightened child. "No, no, no, you understand me perfectly brother. You don't **believe**. You sit here and…fester in your little world, never striving to become something greater than what you are…and this is all you'll be."

Henry glared up at him as best he could, beginning to get truly afraid for his pack and family.

"Get out of my territory!" he rasped with an angry, strained growl.

Draven straightened up slightly, looking around him at the dogs that were listening silently to the confrontation.

"Believe me," he said. "I have no intention of staying. None of us do. Better things await those who are worthy…those of us who **aren't** you. We have other places to go, other people to see, and other worlds to make."

Then he turned and nodded at his subordinates, who immediately and without any hesitation attacked the outnumbered members of the Fukuoka Pack, tearing into them with bloody fervor even as a few unsuccessfully tried to fight back.

"NOOOO!" Henry screamed as shrieks and howls of agony began echoing around the clearing, blood spattering across the dirt as throats ripped and limbs snapped.

Then, as the shadowed dog in the cave grabbed Chiyo and his pups and began dragging them off into the forest kicking and screaming his name, Henry finally fought back. Flailing wildly at Draven's massive form above him, he managed to free his head and immediately bit down on the Shepherd-like dog's front leg as hard as he could, aiming for a nerve cluster right at the joint that he knew would cause unholy pain if punctured. In his mind, he was going through the things he would do to fight off the larger dog when he had regained his feet. If he was lucky, he might be able to move fast enough to save some of his packmates from an untimely demise. He just had to wait for Draven to leap back from the bite and square off to him. Only…Draven didn't leap back. He didn't even move. Henry tried to bite harder, feeling blood oozing from around his teeth as they sunk deeper into the other male's skin. The nerve cluster had been punctured, of that he was positive. And still Draven didn't react. When Henry looked up at him, he saw the same knowing smile that he had been wearing the entire time, and when the Shepherd-like dog spoke, his voice sounded as though nothing at all had happened since the last words he'd spoken.

"That's what we're doing, you see." he said, and then in one rapid motion pulled his paw from Henry's grip, stomped on his neck, and then shoved his front leg down the other male's throat as far as it could go when he cried out, pushing until all air had been cut off from Henry's lungs.

The Fukuoka leader kicked and flailed desperately as he tried to breathe, his eyes wide and terrified. Draven looked up away from him, staring at the sky as the battle noises around them began to silence.

"Making better worlds…" he whispered, almost to himself.

Beneath him, Henry choked further on his paw, feeling his vision fading as blood began filling his mouth. He tried to cry out, but all that emerged was a muffled cough. Draven took notice.

"Shh…" he whispered softly, staring directly into Henry's terrified eyes. "Be still, brother. That's weakness leaving your body."

Then, as Henry the Third took a final gasp and died there alone, the sky began to lightly snow, covering the massacre scene and the tracks of the invaders as they left, their path taking them North towards the territory of Ohu, and the great army that supposedly resided there.

* * *

…_a momentarily startled expression appeared on Chutora's face, as if he had just realized what was happening, and then he plunged to the forest far below. Up above, Smith could only watch in helpless horror as the brown-furred Kai dog fell faster and faster, smashing multiple times into jutting out pieces of the cliff wall, slowing his momentum with every hit. Right before the bottom though, he began to tumble end over end from the downward force, and was sent careening into a jagged rock head first with an impact that made a sickening 'CRACK' echo off the trees and walls surrounding the area. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Chutora came to rest on the hard forest floor at the bottom of the cliff side, his body motionless as blood began pooling slowly around his broken form. For a moment up above, Smith couldn't even find his voice. _

"_CH-CHUTORA!" he screamed. "Shit! CHUTORA! CHU – "_

"-TORA!" Smith blurted out, sitting up with a sudden gasp.

No one answered him. Gajou was as silent as it had been when he'd first closed his eyes. The Spaniel sighed, looking around him at the empty cave. It felt too…vacant without the respect-demanding forms of Gin, John, and Akame wandering around its rocky halls, and though there was a part of the Ohu soldier that felt almost as if it all belonged to him, there was another, larger part that just felt lonely, a state of mind that had been plaguing him disturbingly often lately. Stretching his back, he stood up and shook the dirt from his fur, hearing the voices of the stone fortress's guards talking in the distance from somewhere outside.

'Maybe I'll join them in a bit,' he thought. 'It must be nearly midday by now anyway. Time for me to get out and make an appearance at least.'

With that thought lodging itself in his mind, Smith stepped out into the afternoon sun. It was a nice day, he saw, and the breeze was surprisingly warm for late fall as it teased at his fur and rustled the rapidly changing leaves of the trees decorating Futago Pass, the changing season adding reds and browns to their already impressive array of colors. Breathing in the scent of home, Smith started down the side of Gajou, stepping from rock to rock carefully as he began to head towards the river canyon off to his left, intending to get a much-needed drink from the cold waters that flowed through it. All the while, his mind continued to wander.

'Why is that nightmare still bothering me?' he wondered solemnly, a frown creasing his furred brow. 'It's been nearly 2 years since Chutora's death. Why can't I get him out of my head?'

"Uncle Smith!" a voice called, breaking him out of his reverie and interrupting his thoughts.

The Spaniel glanced over his shoulder at the dog who'd hailed him, and quickly saw Ben trotting up to him, Kurotora at his side.

'No.' he corrected himself silently, looking closer. 'It's **Ken** and **Kagetora**. God they look like their fathers.'

"Uncle Smith," Ken repeated in his deep but young voice. "Perimeter report. Nothing happening at the South or East borders."

"Nothing up North either." Kagetora chimed in, a roughness to his tone that immediately reactivated the nostalgic feelings in the Spaniel. "It's as boring as this blockhead whenever girls are around."

He had gestured at the taller Ken with his head when he said it and the Great Dane snorted in irritation.

"At least I don't drive 'em off in 2 seconds flat with my constant boasting." he retorted and Kagetora's ears reversed in displeasure.

"Pff!" he laughed. "I don't need to boast pal. I got – "

"What's the Western border look like?" Smith interrupted, giving them a stern look and both young males snapped immediately to attention.

"The West?" Ken repeated. "Oh, uh…"

"It's fine." came a third voice and Tesshin trotted up from behind him, stopping at his side as soon as he had reached him. "All quiet, sir."

"Chibi–niichan," Kagetora greeted with a roll of his eyes. "How nice of you to join us. Any sign of the leader or the others up there in that tree of yours?"

"Not that I've seen." Tesshin replied, hiding his displeasure well. "And don't call me that."

Smith took this in as Kagetora began talking again, and the Spaniel looked the young Koga dog from nose to tail as he did so. In the years since they had taken him in and he had changed his name, 'Chibi' had grown into a fine young adult. His once brown fur had aged into a spotted silvery-gray, and his sleek but muscular physique would be the envy of other males for miles around. Add to that his kind heart and sense of professionalism and Smith could see the making of a future boss dog before his eyes. The same could be said in many ways about Ken and Kagetora, and right as the Spaniel looked back up at them, the former spoke up once more.

"Maybe my parents know." he suggested, looking at Smith for support. "Just because they moved back with my Dad's old owner doesn't mean they cut themselves off from all you old guys right?"

Smith felt a rush of irritation at being called an 'old guy', but managed to push it down.

"Gin and the others are over in the Iwate Prefecture dealing with something." he stated in a tone that clearly told the three younger dogs that it wasn't their place to inquire further. "They'll be back when they're back."

"**Another** challenge?" Kagetora scoffed. "What is that, the 3rd one this year? How are they dealing with it this time, Uncle Smith?"

"The same way they always deal with it." Smith replied, turning to resume his walk toward the river canyon.

"Which is?" Ken called after him and the Spaniel paused, glancing over his shoulder at the three youngsters as he seemed to think about his answer carefully.

Then he gave a humorless smirk and met their gazes.

"Diplomatically." he said.

* * *

Gin grunted as his head-butt landed dead on, splitting his opponent's forehead open and sending blood streaming down through his fur. The Mountain Dog stumbled, a furious snarl escaping his lips as the Ohu leader trotted aside, looking thoroughly bored by what would be his 2nd fight that day.

"…f-fuckin' kill you." he slurred. "You cocksucker… I'll stomp your face in you – "

Gin sighed, rolling his eyes in irritation as his challenger's rant continued. Over on either side of them, watching the fight with rapt interest, were the Mountain Dog's subordinates, all of them yelling things at the two battling males every few seconds.

"Kill him, boss!" one shouted over the din of the others. "Teach him a lesson!"

"Yeah, do it boss!" another agreed, looking pleased by the blood that spattered the ground around them, not seeming to realize that all of it came from his own leader.

Then the Mountain dog lunged again, his teeth ready to strike as they aimed at Gin's throat. Almost casually, the Akita sidestepped the attack and leveled him with a hard kick to the face, making an "Ooooh!" erupt out of all the dogs around them as soon as he had. Watching as his opponent once again staggered to his paws, the Akita shot an annoyed look over at John and Akame, who were sitting over by the path they had taken to get there, both of them patiently waiting for the duel to be over and looking unconcerned for his safety.

"Just kick his ass, Gin, and let's get out of here!" John called with a bored look of his own. "We have better things to do than this!"

"I agree, leader." Akame said in his smooth, calm voice. "We should start heading back."

Taking this in, Gin turned back the Mountain Dog.

"I'm through playing games with you, Katashi." he said. "I'm giving you one last chance to stop this."

"You wait 'til I get my claws in you, you stuck up prick!" the other dog snarled, seemingly ignoring him. "I'm gonna take my sweet time ripping you to pieces – "

Gin gave an exasperated grunt.

"I don't have time for this." he said.

" – and bury you somewhere where I can come and piss on your grave every day and – "

Suddenly, the Ohu leader shot forward like a bullet and grabbed the larger dog by the back of the neck, jumping high into the air as soon as he had and bringing Katashi with him. Then, before the Mountain Dog could say another word, Gin twisted in midair and smashed him into the ground headfirst, a sickening 'SNAP' echoing across the clearing as his life ended in the breaking of his neck. Then he stood back up to his full height as Katashi's body went limp as a rag doll and his subordinates took a few tentative steps away from the sight, some of them quivering slightly where they stood. Gin took a step of his own towards them, panning his gaze from left to right.

"Don't make me come back down here." he threatened in a calm voice that dripped with power. "I may not like to kill, but should **any **of you ever attack my messengers again, then I will not hesitate to use deadly force again. Do you understand me?"

Instead of answering, the dogs began to scatter, one of them shouting "RUN!" to the others as they did, and soon they had all vanished into the trees. Gin sighed, turning immediately to walk back over to his friends as soon as he had. Once he had reached them, Akame nodded at him and both he and John stood up, falling in alongside their leader as he began heading back down the path that led towards Futago Pass.

"You okay Gin?" John asked, noticing the troubled look on his friend's face.

The Akita didn't look at him.

"I'm just sick of this, John." he said. "Every year it's the same thing. One challenger after another. Just once I wish they would leave us in peace."

"It should die down now that winter's approaching." Akame said and Gin glanced at him.

"I just don't understand what they get out of it." he said. "Don't they have better things to do then travelling hundreds of miles just to pick a fight?"

"They feel entitled." the Kishu replied sagely. "They see what you have and think that they deserve the same, consequences be damned."

"Yeah," John scoffed in agreement. "Never mind that they didn't do a thing to earn it like we did, never mind that they're screwing their own packmates over by only thinking of themselves. Oh well, at least we get to rest after this. I could use a bath."

"You don't say?" Gin said with a teasing smile and John pushed him lightly with a paw.

"Hey, you're no field of flowers either, pal." he grinned and the Akita chuckled, his spirits lifted somewhat as Akame cracked a smile as well.

"C'mon." he said. "Let's get outta here."

And with that, the three males sprinted off down the wooded path, their road taking them through the fields and hills of Iwate, across the Kitakami River, and back to the sanctuary that was their home of Futago Pass. Gin felt his mind wandering as they ran. Much had changed in the 2 years since Chutora's death, he knew, and the more he looked back on it, the more he wondered where all that time had gone. Ohu still looked the same as it always had, and except for a couple of newcomers and old friends departing for a new chapter of their lives, the same people still haunted its canyons and woods. Gin himself had grown taller in that time, and his muscular silver body was beginning to resemble his father Riki in every way except color. Indeed, he was broader in the chest, wiser in the gaze, and more powerful physically than he'd ever been. He was certainly no longer the pup he had once been. Gin of Ohu had grown up. And he was not alone.

John had not changed much in the years between, even with middle age now approaching for him, and he still looked and acted exactly as he always had. If anything, time had made him **more** warrior-like and ornery then he ever had been, and though he was older, he had not lost anything on the battlefield at all, a fate that Gin hoped awaited him when he reached his friend's age in a few more years. To his left, Akame was much the same, and though he **was** beginning to slow down a little as he edged ever closer to the dusk of his life, he too had lost none of his strength. Of course, slow for Akame was like top speed for most dogs half his age, and the Kishu's ninja-dog instincts were as keen as ever, his calm, calculating gaze scanning the landscape as they ran, keeping an eye out for danger even then. Gin leaped over a fallen tree with ease as they rounded a corner, and almost immediately saw the Northern Alps come into view in the distance, a sure sign that they would reach their destination within a few hours time. He wanted to talk to Smith about increasing border patrols when he got there and made a mental note to himself to do just that. Gin frowned slightly as he thought this. The Spaniel had seemed troubled lately, by what he didn't know, and he wondered if there was any way he could worm the truth out of him during their little talk. Ever since Chutora's death, Smith had lost a good deal of his once customary humor, and Gin had easily been able to tell that the Kai dog's demise had scarred him most deeply of all, even after all this time. He had long regretted the words he'd said to Smith in the immediate aftermath of what had happened, but had been too preoccupied and embarrassed to say he was sorry.

'Still,' the Akita thought. 'Maybe I can finally make some headway on that in the next few days.'

The late Kai dog's surviving brother, Kurotora, had only stopped by to visit once since they'd parted ways, and Gin had been pleasantly surprised to see him doing quite well. He had leapt into the responsibility of raising 7 puppies on his own with a vigor that was very unlike him, and by the time Gin and the others had seen them again, the young dogs were already nearly a year old, and all good males by the look of it. One of them, Kuro's eldest son Kagetora, was a commander of the perimeter guards back in Ohu, and Gin constantly marveled how much like his father he was in every way. His constant shadow, Ben and Cross's pup Ken, was his co-commander, and the Great Dane mix had grown up quite admirably as well despite his occasionally rough and combative nature, a trait he shared with his Kai dog best friend. There was also the matter of his obliviousness towards what had happened with his family. Gin grimaced as he remembered.

Ben and Cross had departed Gajou for good a few months after they had returned from what had happened in Kai, and though they had left Ken behind to train to become a soldier, they had taken their other two pups, George and Miney, with them to raise at their new home. Since then, Ken had had no contact with his family, and thus had no way of knowing that Miney, his little sister, had drowned in a river less than a year later, her body being swept away by an unusually swift current and deposited lifeless on the riverbank a few miles downstream. Adding to the family's misery, George had never returned from the trip that Miney had been following him on, and thus Ben and Cross had, in one day, lost 2 of their 3 children. Both of them had been understandably devastated, and the whole Ohu pack had tried to be there for them during that difficult time, even organizing search parties to look for George, but it had helped little. Though they were doing somewhat better now, they had asked Gin and the others not to tell Ken what had happened to his siblings, for fear of disrupting his training and goal of becoming an Ohu soldier. This was a decision that Gin wasn't sure he agreed with, but respected nonetheless, as it was not his place to tell his friends how to raise their children. Even so, he secretly dreaded the day when he or one of the others would have to tell Ken what had become of his family. The Akita shook his head. Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

For the next 3-4 hours, the three Ohu leaders ran, stopping only occasionally to rest and get a drink from a nearby river or stream. Then, right as evening was beginning to set in, they made it back to their destination, the towering figure of Gajou seeming to welcome them home by blocking the setting sun from shining directly in their eyes. This had the effect of giving it an eerie orange outline, and combined with the reds and greens of the rapidly falling leaves around them, it made Futago Pass look like a brilliant palate of colors to their tired eyes. As soon as the trio approached, they could see the guards standing at attention and bowing their heads dutifully in respect to them and their ranks, something that always gave Gin a rush of pride and embarrassment, as if he didn't deserve the honor somehow. Standing in the entrance was none other than Smith, and Gin smiled as they trotted up to him.

"Smith," he greeted with a nod. "Is everything all right here?"

Smith gave what looked a shrug.

"Here, yeah." he said. "Elsewhere…that's a little harder to say."

Gin sighed, sensing another trip rapidly approaching in his near future.

"What now?" he asked as Akame and John stepped up beside him.

"I'm not sure I'm the right dog to ask about that." the Spaniel said, and then looked over his shoulder into the cave opening.

As soon as he did, another old friend emerged from the shadows, his long strides allowing him to reach Smith's side in only a few steps. Gin let out a grunt of surprise.

"Musashi!" he exclaimed as John and Akame exchanged a shocked look. "What are **you** doing here? I didn't know you were coming!"

"Apologies, Gin." the Tosa said with a little bow of his head. "I didn't get a chance to let you know ahead of time. Something's come up down South that you should know about."

"What's happened?" the Akita asked warily, silently dreading the answer, and Musashi and Smith glanced at each other.

"That's something I think I should tell you inside." he said and Gin nodded, gesturing with his paw for his old fight dog companion to lead the way.

Beside him, John spoke up as Smith fell in beside Akame in the rear.

"How's Shikoku been, Musashi?" he asked. "We haven't seen you since what happened 2 years ago."

"It's been relatively quiet up until recently." came the appreciative sounding answer. "I've actually been enjoying retirement more than I thought I would."

"Feh!" the Shepherd scoffed. "I could never retire. I'd go stir-crazy if I was forced to settle down."

"It's not the torture you think it is, John." Musashi said with a smile. "Plus I get to train the new generation of fight dogs. It's fun seeing them make waves of their own in the arena…even the ones I'd rather not teach at all."

"Yeah," John smirked. "Speaking of nuisances, how's Zach doing? He ever change his mind about coming back?"

Musashi seemed to think for a moment, but then shook his head.

"No." he said somewhat uncomfortably, and Gin thought he saw an almost hurt look pass over John's face. "And I've never been able to figure out why. We get along just fine, but he still seems…distant somehow. Actually the day I told him he was well enough to go, he stopped by my master's house and asked me to train him as a fight dog."

All three of them paused momentarily in their stride.

"**Zach**?" Akame said skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't much like the dog I know."

"You hurt he moved onto a new teacher, Akame?" Smith teased and the Kishu snorted with a smile.

"Not exactly." he replied. "I like Zach a lot, but he wasn't exactly the greatest student I've ever had."

"And how did that training go?" Gin asked, an amused note to his voice.

Musashi grinned.

"That guy has balls, I'll say that for him." the Tosa said in an almost impressed sounding voice. "He was taking on healthy opponents when he was still hobbling around on two legs. Actually won a number of his fights that way too. I had to step in and tell him to stop a few times before he hurt himself all over again."

"Damned fool." Smith remarked.

"Good male." John countered. "People who back down are cowards."

"That was always his argument when I stepped in." Musashi smirked. "Usually laced with a healthy dose of sarcasm."

"**That** sounds like Zach." Akame said with a smile of his own and Gin echoed his expression.

"But he still won't come back?" he said and Musashi nodded at him almost apologetically.

"Yeah." he said as they settled down in the main chamber of Gajou. "And I asked him repeatedly why. He would never give me a straight answer as to what the problem was. Either way, he's not the reason I'm here."  
"And what is?" Akame asked calmly.

Musashi looked over at him with a grave expression.

"The Nomads." he said simply.

The three Ohu leaders all frowned.

"Who?" John asked and Musashi sighed.

"About a year ago," he said. "I started getting reports from across the water that some of our neighboring territories were losing contact with some of their allies. At first I thought it was nothing, but then messenger after messenger from up North kept saying the same thing: that they couldn't reach a number of the boss dogs of the Southern territories. A few of them even claimed to have been met by dogs they didn't recognize, dogs who said that everything was all right and that the boss dog they were trying to see was sick or had left on a mission somewhere. Finally I sent some of my fight dogs to check it out."

"What did they find?" Gin asked warily.

"I don't know." Musashi said. "They never came back. Three days ago I found their bodies floating in the bay, mutilated beyond recognition."  
The Akita stiffened slightly, greatly disturbed by this news. John took a step forward, fully invested in the conversation.

"Who did it?" he asked and Musashi panned his gaze to meet his eyes.

"They're called "The Nomads"," he repeated. "And near as we can tell…they've already taken over most of the Southern territories of Japan."

"**What**?!" Gin exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Musashi, are you serious?!"

The Tosa nodded.

"Very." he replied. "I've had my subordinates spreading a warning about them while I came up here to see you."

"Have you coordinated a counterstrike with our allies down south?" Akame asked. "Daimon – "

"Dead." Musashi interrupted in a low voice.

Akame paused for a moment, caught off guard.

"Raou?" he continued.

"Dead."

"Henry the Third?!"

"Killed a week ago." the Tosa said, looking deadly serious. "Along with most of his pack. And the worst part is, not only do they seem to be making their way North, they have multiple leaders…and we don't know who they are."

John immediately turned to Gin.

"Gin," he said gruffly. "We have to warn everyone!"

The Akita, however, was way ahead of him.

"Smith." he said quickly, turning to the Spaniel. "Get Ikaru and the other messengers and send them out to our remaining allies quickly. I want them all to get themselves here as fast as they can."

"Who should I send them to?" Smith questioned and Gin met his gaze seriously.

"Everyone." he said. "Kurotora, Moss, Hakuro, Kisaragi, Ben, Cross, Asher of Nagano, Kouzou of Saitama…**everyone**. Get them here. **Now**."

Smith nodded emphatically and darted off to carry out his leader's orders, Gin watching him go for a moment before turning back to his 3 remaining companions.

"Musashi," he asked gravely. "I trust your judgment. Truthfully…how dangerous is this pack?"

Musashi seemed bathed in shadow as the sun descended below the horizon off in the distance once and for all, but Gin could still see the worried look on his face as clear as day.

"Very." he said simply and the Akita nodded.

Then he turned and looked outside as the moon began to shine brightly in the sky above, their once peaceful future having given way to doubt and danger, and quite possibly…bloodshed.

'Here we go again.' Gin of Ohu thought, sighing as he saw his pack's messengers departing swiftly to gather their old friends and allies. 'Here we go again…'


	14. Final Story: The War, Part 2

**Author's Note**: Part 2! I had a fun time writing this chapter, if only because I'm excited for where the story eventually goes. This one features the return of two departed characters, and sets up the rest of the story more than the last one did. I tried to edit this thoroughly, but I wasn't as diligent as usual, so if you guys see any typos or missed words – I apologize! I hope you guys like where this is going and if you do, please review! Thanks!

Thanks to Nahualmorph for reviewing the last part of this chapter!

* * *

**-Part 2: The Boss Dog Council-**

Winters in Ohu were often harsh. This was a fact of life for the dogs of Futago Pass, and each and every one of them knew that if they were to survive to see Spring, they would have to band together to make sure that everyone was fed and protected adequately. More often than not, the most astute of these dogs were able to tell just by sheer instinct how bad the upcoming season would be, and as Akame of Iga stood atop his cliffside perch, looking down on Gajou with a protector's watchful gaze, his senses told him that this winter would be a bad one indeed. The ninja dog grimaced, a worried frown tracing its way over his lips as a gust of cold mountain wind ruffled his fur.

'We need to hurry.' he thought grimly. 'We're running out of time. This mission will be hard enough as it is. If we have to fight in a blizzard it'll be even worse.'

Still, he knew, there was next to nothing he could do about it, at least not until all of their allies arrived from their respective territories. As it stood now, all were there but one. Kisaragi and the Mutsu four had been the first to arrive, which had been expected given the proximity of their territory to Ohu's borders, but what had surprised him was that Hakuro had arrived soon afterward. Given the ocean crossing that he had to make to get from Hokkaido to Futago Pass, the Husky had made the trip in apparent record time, an achievement that Akame could safely say he and Gin were both silently grateful for. Neither of the two males seemed to have changed much since they'd last seen them, and except for a few years added on to their powerful forms appeared to be exactly the same as before. On top of that, Kisaragi's brother Uzuki appeared to have recovered from the life threatening wounds that he had received during the Ohu Army's last trip to Mutsu, and although he bore some significant new scars from that encounter, he still seemed every bit the warrior he'd always been. This, unfortunately, was in stark contrast to the third and fourth arrivals: Ben and Cross.

Though at one point they had been the pinnacles of strength that the Ohu Army possessed, age it seemed had finally caught up with them, and the Great Dane and Saluki seemed both tired and old to Akame's keen eyes. This saddened him greatly, and gave him an unwanted reminder of his own advancing age, but rather than dwell on it he quickly put it out of his mind. Perhaps his old friends would surprise him. **He** certainly didn't feel changed much by the years that had passed by. He could still defeat virtually any dog that crossed his path without tiring himself out in the slightest, and this thought was a distinct source of pride for him. After Ben and Cross had settled in, Kurotora had appeared soon after. Akame chuckled to himself silently. The Kai dog hadn't changed one bit since they'd parted ways and arrived with quite a head of steam, immediately taunting both John and Smith about their continuing bachelor statuses and demanding to see Kagetora so that he might "remind the little shit to talk to his family every once in a while" instead of never looking back once he made it as a soldier in Ohu.

After him, the others had arrived one after another. Moss showed up the following day with Jaguar at his side and then Kouzou came right behind him, his warm greeting containing no trace of the taboo subject of Chutora and what had happened the last time their paths had crossed. As they had welcomed him, and a friendly wrestling match between Jaguar and Tesshin broke out, Akame had noticed that Gin seemed much less enthusiastic than he would've expected and made a mental note to himself to keep a closer eye on the Ohu leader over the coming weeks, lest he need more help than normal in performing his duties. Gin had been restless ever since Musashi's startling revelation about "The Nomads", and had taken to pacing along the top of Gajou as he thought about how to handle the situation. Both Akame and John knew better than to interrupt him during these moments, but they both silently understood that the Akita would need them and their experience extensively over the course of the crisis.

Now, as he sat on his cliffside perch awaiting the arrival of Asher of Nagano, Akame thought carefully about what their options were. Hopefully one of their newly arrived allies knew more than they did and could help them in handling "The Nomads" before things got even more out of control than they already were. Suddenly, a voice hailed him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Akame-sama!" it called, and the Kishu looked down in time to see Ikaru staring up at him from the bottom of the ledge. "Asher of Nagano is arriving sir! He'll be on Gajou's main plain in a few minutes!"

"Understood." the ninja-dog answered and immediately leaped to a nearby tree branch, moving from there to two lower perches before finally touching down in the dirt below with a gracefully quiet 'THUMP'.

Once he was on solid ground he ran quickly to Gajou's front entrance, where Gin, John and Smith all stood awaiting him, their other friends and comrades stacking up behind them to welcome the new arrival as well. Gin glanced at him as he sat down beside him.

"Akame." he greeted with a solemn nod, and the Kishu returned it silently, scenting the air for anything out of the ordinary as he did so.

"You should give 'Ass-er' a piece of your mind for being late, Gin." Kurotora spoke up from behind them in an irritated sounding voice. "This meeting's too important to delay."

The Akita smiled despite himself.

"I'm sure he has a reason, Kuro." he replied dismissively. "Besides, at least he's here now."

At that moment, the police dog and a few of his comrades emerged from the woods that bordered the large clearing they sat in, and Akame immediately sat straight up in surprise upon seeing them, feeling the others beside him do the same. One of the dogs that flanked the German Shepherd, appearing like a ghost from their past, was a long-furred male Collie, his powerful strides helping him easily keep up with the faster dogs that surrounded him. The Kishu recognized him instantly. It was Wilson. A few moments later, the arriving dogs trotted to a halt in front of them and Gin and the others immediately stepped forward in greeting, a delighted but shocked look on the Akita's face as Asher bowed his head apologetically.

"Sorry for the delay, Gin." the police dog said in his deep voice. "We had someone we needed to pick up."

"So I see." the Akita replied, turning immediately to the dog in question as soon as he had. "Wilson… I thought you were gone for good!"

He sounded very pleased to see his old friend and Akame felt a rush of the same happiness fill him as well as the Collie cocked his head slightly in a half-nod.

"I'm not back for good, Gin." he said, his voice having gotten slightly reedier in the years since they'd seen him. "Asher told me what's going on. I'm here to help."

"I thought he might know things we didn't." Asher added, meeting the Akita's gaze as Wilson smiled slightly and did the same.

"It **is** good to see you though." he said and Gin returned the smile.

"And you." he replied, resting a paw on the Collie's shoulder in a gesture of friendship.

"Gin," John interrupted, looking between his leader and Akame. "We should get started."

"Agreed, leader." the Kishu said and Gin nodded immediately at them both.

"Everyone inside." he called. "We have a lot to talk about."

Then he turned to Tesshin and Ikaru, both of whom stood waiting nearby.

"You two," he ordered sternly. "Get Ken and Kagetora and patrol the forest with some of the guards. Make sure there's no trouble while we discuss this situation. Tesshin's in charge of that so report anything you see to him."

"Yes sir!" both males said instantly and ran off towards the trees, gathering a few dogs standing nearby to help them in their efforts.

Not staying to watch them leave, Gin led the others back inside quickly, walking with a purposeful stride as Smith instructed a few of the guards to keep close watch during the proceedings. Once the whole group had stepped into the cavernous main room of Gajou, they all turned to face one another and sat in a large circle, all eyes on Gin as he stepped forward to look around at them.

"You all know why we're here." the Akita said sternly, the sharp edge to his voice radiating his seriousness to the dogs around him. "Now we need to decide what to do about it. As the strongest boss dogs in this country, it's our job to put a stop to these thugs one way or another. What say you?"

"Let's go wipe 'em out." Kurotora replied tersely. "They're obviously dangerous and won't listen to reason, so…"

"I second that." Hakuro spoke up from where he sat at Musashi's side. "With our combined forces they won't stand a chance."

"We don't know that." Akame said calmly, causing everyone's heads to turn his way. "In fact, we don't seem to know much about them at all. "I think before we do anything we should find out exactly who we're fighting."

"We might not have time." John said from Gin's other side as Kisaragi nodded beside him. "As much sense as that makes, Akame. Besides, I doubt anyone here knows any more than we do."

"I wouldn't say that, John." Asher suddenly spoke up, and the other German Shepherd turned to him quickly, Gin and Akame stepping forward to address him as well.

"Do you know something, Asher?" the Ohu leader asked sternly and the police dog nodded at him, never breaking eye contact.

"My pack started sending in spies to infiltrate "The Nomads" as soon as we found out about them." he replied, gesturing at Musashi with his head as he did. "None of them got very far, but a few of them found out some crucial details before they died."

Gin straightened up a little as he heard this and exchanged a glance with John, Kisaragi voicing what they both were thinking seconds later.

"Well done!" the Husky said in an impressed sounding voice and Asher nodded appreciatively at him.

"I hope it's enough." he said solemnly. "I lost some of my best dogs finding it out. These bastards are brutal."

"Let's hear it then," John said, gesturing with his head to the center of the circle. "What do you know?"

Asher only paused for a moment before stepping forward to address them all.

"First of all, they're not a military pack or army." he said, looking around him to meet all of their gazes. "They're a cult. Near as we can tell, they seem to believe that only certain dogs can get into the next world, or Heaven or Paradise or whatever you wanna call it, and the way to become one of those dogs is to rule over all the other packs in the country."

"How original." Kurotora snorted sarcastically and Asher smirked slightly as Musashi did the same a few dogs over.

"It's a load of shit." he said bluntly. "Most of the followers probably believe it, and are probably willing to die for it, but I guarantee you the leaders don't believe a word of it. They're sociopaths…manipulative, charismatic…they just want as much power for themselves as possible. They couldn't care less about any 'Heaven'."

"And they're willing to kill anybody in their way to get it." Kouzou said, shaking his head slightly as he did.

Asher nodded again.

"Exactly." he said.

Then Gin got his attention with a flick of his muzzle.

"What do we know about them?" he asked. "The leaders."

The police dog faced him directly.

"There's three of them." he said, cutting to the chase immediately. "Not one like most packs. On top of that, they all go by nicknames instead of their real ones…but we managed to identify two of them."

"And they are?" Akame said.

Asher turned and made three distinct paw prints in the dirt littering Gajou's stony floor. Then he looked back at the leaders of Ohu.

"The pet dogs down south have taken to calling them "The Killer Angels"." he said. "Mainly because of the whole cult thing and their complete disregard for innocent life."

He gestured roughly to the first paw print.

"The one we've managed to figure out the most about is this guy." he said sternly. "His name's Jacim of Hiroshima. They call him "Angel of Wrath", supposedly due to his temper."

Musashi frowned slightly where he sat, looking up at Gin a moment later.

"Why do I know that name?" he asked to no one in particular and Asher glanced over at him.

"He used to be a police dog in his home territory." he said. "A highly decorated one too. The humans actually threw him a celebration once for saving the lives of two children."

"What happened?" Hakuro asked with a tilt of his head and Asher shrugged.

"Nobody knows." he replied. "A couple years ago, for no apparent reason, he just snapped. Killed his whole family and 13 of his former comrades before escaping into the mountains. We've been looking for him ever since."

"Well, I guess you found him." Smith quipped from where he was leaning against the wall and the German Shepherd snorted.

"So it would seem." he said. "But as dangerous as he is, he's **nothing** compared to this next guy…at least from what we're hearing."

He motioned to the middle paw print as he said it and looked back at Gin.

"This one is Draven of Osaka." he said. "They call him the "Angel of Death". He seems to be "The Nomads" grand leader, or at least their equivalent of a boss dog. Other than that, we don't know much about him."

"**Draven**?!" Wilson said, stepping forward in shock. "You're sure?"

"A hundred percent." Asher nodded and Gin looked at his comrade.

"Why, Wilson?" he said. "You know him?"

The collie only paused for a moment.

"Not personally," he said. "But I know **of** him. He was notorious back in the day."

"Indeed," Ben said, speaking up from Cross's side with a disturbed look on his face. "He was one of your father's main rivals, Gin."

This drew a series of gasps from all the other dogs there and then Kurotora spoke up as Gin looked momentarily stunned.

"Wait!" he said in a sharp voice. "This bastard knew The Boss?"

"Oh yeah." Ben replied, holding the first word slightly for emphasis. "They hated each other. Killing Akakabuto was Riki's main goal so they never actually fought, but I guarantee that if he had survived the war, hunting Draven down would've been the next thing he did."

"What's he look like?" John asked with a serious glare and Ben shook his head.

"I never met him." he said and Cross spoke up from his side.

"It was rumored that he was some sort of hybrid or mix breed." she said. "But once we started gathering soldiers to fight Akakabuto, I never heard him mentioned again, not even by Riki."

"Wilson?" Gin asked and the Collie shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." he said. "I know he was infamous on the battlefield for being able to take any hit and still remain standing. He used to be a military dog of some kind I think. That's all I know."

"He must be getting old by now if he knew your father, Gin." John said and the Akita nodded, looking troubled by the news.

Then he gestured at the last paw print.

"Who's the third one?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Asher.

The police dog paused, exchanging a glance with Musashi and Hakuro as he did.

"We don't know." he admitted. "They call him "Angel of Mercy" but…he's much more secretive than the others. No one's even gotten a look at him so far as we know. We're not even sure what breed he is."

"No one knows **anything**?" Kurotora said skeptically. "At all?"

Asher shook his head.

"All anyone could tell us was that he was big and unpredictable." he said gravely. "They apparently call him "Mercy" because he lets some of his pack's victims live. There's no pattern to it though, he seems to choose arbitrarily."

"That's not good." Akame muttered and Gin glanced at him.

"Akame?"

The Kishu met his gaze.

"Violent is bad enough." he said. "But unpredictable and violent is much worse. If we can't predict his movements, than he could be harder to fight than the other two."

Gin considered this for a moment, and then turned back to his comrades as Asher stepped back to rejoin the circle and sat down once more. The Akita looked around at them.

"I think the choice here is pretty clear." he said in a very leader-like tone. "These dogs need to be stopped, no matter who they are. I know where I stand…and I'd like you all with me."

Across from him, Kurotora gave a half smirk.

"Bring it on." he said and Hakuro grinned toothily beside him.

"Ha ha!" he laughed, as if the thought of there even being another option was ridiculous. "Of course! What's another war between friends?"

Then Kisaragi and Musashi nodded supportively as well while Wilson, Kouzou and Asher only paused momentarily before doing the same, shooting each other supportive glances as they did. Finally, Gin looked at Smith, John and Akame, all of whom echoed their comrades' sentiments and met the Ohu leader's gaze.

"Always." John said.

"I'm there." Smith added.

"Waiting for your orders, leader." Akame said with a smile of his own.

Gin returned it. Then he gave a serious look.

"Gather as many strong males from your packs as you can." he said. "We'll need all the help we can get if we want to end this war as quickly as possible. Once we have enough, we move out immediately and we find these bastards. Then we take them down. I absolutely won't let them just do as they please. …Let's do this."

And with that the group of males dispersed, most of them walking out into the waning sunlight to send word back to their comrades of the decision that had been made. The others went to Gin and immediately tried to talk to him, an action that they were forced to wait on when the Akita stepped forward towards the far wall.

"Ben," he said, stopping in front of his old friend. "Cross, I'd like you to look after Gajou with some of the younger soldiers while we're gone. This place needs to be protected and I trust you both with that above anyone else."  
"Of course, Gin." Cross replied and Ben nodded at her side.

Then he got the younger male's attention with a flick of his head.

"Gin," he said, and the Akita met his gaze at the same time John and Akame did. "A word of advice: be **very** careful with Draven. I may not know much about him, but I know for a fact that he can be an extremely dangerous dog. Your **father** feared what he was capable of. That if nothing else should tell you to watch your back."

Gin exchanged a tense glance with John and Akame, and then looked Ben in his blind eyes and nodded solemnly.

"I will." he said. "Thank you, Ben."

Then he and his two companions turned and headed for Gajou's entrance, watching as Smith began to gather the stone fortress's guards to him to deliver news of the group's decision. Gin glanced at his friends.

"Akame," he said. "John, go gather Tesshin and the other younger males and bring them back here. We need to move fast before "The Nomads" have a chance to do more damage. I'm gonna be here helping Smith organize the troops we already have."

Akame nodded at the younger male, seeing John do the same opposite him, and then turned and immediately sprang into the trees that made up the forest around Gajou, the smell of pine and cold air mixing in with their subordinates' scents as he dodged and weaved between the trunks.

'Something's still not right.' the ninja dog thought to himself. 'There's something we're not seeing. I should stay close to Gin. We all need to be on high alert, now more than ever. I'm not losing any friends…not this time.'

Clenching his jaw determinedly, the Kishu sprang upward and felt his paws touch the rough wood of the branches that loomed over him, their contours, knots, and textures scraping at his paw pads as he bounded from tree to tree, doubling his speed as he kept up his pursuit of his friends' sons and their group. There was still some time left in the day. If they were lucky, they would be ready to move out by tomorrow night. With that goal in mind, Akame of Iga steeled himself to his task, and dashed away.

* * *

Humans were strange creatures. Draven tilted his head slightly as this thought slithered through his brain yet again, his eyes narrowing into a frown as he considered the body before him. At 8600 acres, the Aokigahara Forest was perfect to hide out in for a while, if only to ensure that no one had caught onto them yet. "Sea of Trees" he had heard it called, and the name was certainly appropriate given its sheer vastness. What he hadn't expected though, were the bodies. All human, some fresh, and some mere skeletons, the dead seemed to be hidden amongst the trees like little shrines to the afterlife, and as Draven realized that each one had died by his or her own hand, he found himself wondering further. Stalking up to the specimen in front of him, he leaned in and sniffed slightly at the rubbery flesh, the stench of decay floating back to him almost teasingly as he leaned his forehead against the corpse's.

"How did it feel?" he whispered softly, the breeze blowing gently through the trees as he silenced once more like he was waiting for an answer.

None came. Draven smiled and pulled back, straightening up as he did so.

"It's strange," he said, raising his voice as soon as he realized that he was no longer alone. "They say these woods are evil."

Then his smile widened to a toothy grin, his curling lips suggesting that he was thoroughly pleased with himself.

"But how evil can they be when angels walk among them?" he smirked. "Don't you agree, Mercy?"

He didn't acknowledge the other male's presence in any other way as he said it, but the shape in the shadows of a low hanging tree branch emerged into the light anyway, resting his head on his paw lazily as he draped it over the side of his cylindrical wooden perch.

"I see your senses are as sharp as ever, my lord." Mercy said. "I'm quite sure I didn't make a sound."

"You didn't. I just smelled your stink is all."

"Mercy me." Draven heard the other male say in his calm, smug voice and the Shepherd-looking dog smirked again with a snort. Then he cracked his neck.

"Is there something you want, Mercy?" he asked. "Or did you come simply to push your luck?"

"I came to let you know that the others are almost ready." came the answer, the other male not sounding intimidated in the slightest by the vague threat. "I'm heading out to scout our next target while the newcomers are being…initiated."

Draven paused for a moment, then resumed studying the dead body before him.

"Make it fast," he said smoothly. "We may have to push up our timetable."

"As you wish."

Then Mercy dropped down from his perch and padded away into the forest, his path taking him dangerously close to another dog that was slowly weaving his way through the trees, his gaze fixing on his fellow leader like a predator as they slid by each other without changing course.

"Crawling back into hiding, Mercy?" the newcomer spat quietly. "At least your cowardice is predictable."

"Hello, Jacim." came the nonchalant answer, the voice's owner stopping abruptly in his tracks as he spoke.

The Elkhound narrowed his eyes, a smirk tracing his lips.

"What's the matter, boy?" he taunted. "You sound hurt. Did I insult you?"

Mercy snorted as he glanced over his shoulder.

"For you to insult me," he replied in the same calm voice. "I would first have to value your opinion."

Then he gestured with his head.

"The boss is over there." he said. "He probably already knows you're here."

Jacim glanced towards where the other male had pointed and then flicked his head with a scowl.

"Get outta my fucking sight." he hissed in a low voice.

Mercy simply grinned toothily.

"Is that fear I hear in your voice, Jacim?" he taunted back. "Good. That'd be the first thing to ever come out of you that's justified."

The Elkhound looked him directly in the eyes, a dangerous look on his face.

"Any time you want to challenge me, boy," he growled. "I'm available. Then you'll see how afraid I really am."

Mercy's smile didn't wane, and he winked as he turned and leapt away into the darkness of the forest, still wearing the same expression as before. Jacim watched him go for only a moment, resuming his path shortly afterward with a pronounced glower on his face. Mere moments later, he came across the dog he was looking for.

"Lord Draven," he said, not bothering with any pleasantries. "We may have a problem."

"Do we now?" came the reply. "And what might that be?"

"Gin of Ohu's called all his allies to him." the Elkhound said. "One of our scouts has reported seeing all the major boss dogs from across Japan massing in Futago Pass. They're definitely planning some sort of counter strike."

Draven shifted his head only a little, his gaze panning thoughtfully down to the dirt and moss covered ground beneath his feet. After a few moments of silence, Jacim stepped forward a few paces.

"Sir?" he repeated. "What are your orders?"

Draven finally turned to him and looked him in the eyes.

"Gin of Ohu," he said. "Is a product of Tokobu Valley up North. If I'm not too much mistaken…he still has family there."

Jacim's eyes widened slightly in mild surprise, though he tried to keep it off his face as much as possible in front of the older male.

"You want us to kill his family?" he clarified. "Are you sure that's wise, my lord? After all, a male of **his** stature might come to defend them personally. And where would we be if he discovered us?"

Draven walked right up to the Elkhound silently, his face not giving away any sort of emotion as he did. When he was only inches away, he spoke once more.

"His mother, Fuji, and his two bastard brothers still live there." the Nomad leader drawled. "I want you to go there personally and slay them all. Do you understand me, commander? If Gin wants to stick his nose in my business like his father used to…I'll rip it right off his face. Now do it."

Then he turned back to the body and Jacim stared warily at his back for a few seconds.

"And what of his friends?" the Elkhound asked. "These are powerful males. You really think this will deter them enough?"

Draven smiled without looking at him.

"Have a little faith, Jacim." he said. "The bigger they are…the harder they fall."

The Elkhound snorted with a ghost of a grin and then turned and departed as well, leaving Draven of Osaka to sit there alone in the depths of Aokigahara Forest, considering the body before him.

'Maybe I'll gather a few of these before I head back to the others.' he thought with sadistic glee. 'After all, they must be starving by now.'

Then he turned and was gone.

* * *

Gin breathed the cool night air in deeply as he sat atop Gajou, letting it chill his lungs as he kept his troubled gaze fixed on the stars that twinkled serenely above his head. Many different thoughts cascaded through his brain at once, each vying with the others for the honor of being what was foremost on his mind as his comrades slept peacefully inside the rocky structure's confines. To any outsider looking upon the scene, it must have looked as though nothing at all was wrong, and it was just another end to another day in Paradise. The Akita grimaced at that thought. How long had it been since he'd been able to just enjoy the day? To run through the fields and forests of Futago Pass and reap the rewards of the struggles that he'd faced? Too long, he decided, **far **too long. Still though, that was the price of leadership, and some threats were too great to ignore, especially when every sense in his body was screaming at him to take a stand and make the lands safe again. That however, was not what was foremost on his mind, and as he fixed his eyes on a particularly bright star in the Northern sky his thoughts strayed once again back to the subject they had been fixated on all night. Gin sighed deeply, wanting very much to be free of worry so that he could sleep.

"You okay, Gin?"

Pricking his ears up at the sudden voice, the Ohu leader glanced over his shoulder in time to see John stride up and sit beside him, the concerned look on his face a marked difference from the soldier toughness that usually adorned it.

"Oh," Gin said, turning back to the stars after their eyes met for a few moments. "John, it's you."

Then he settled in again.

"I'm fine." he said. "I just…have some things on my mind."

"Things about your father?"

Gin turned back to him, somewhat surprised. For some reason, despite the years he'd known the Shepherd, it always caught him off guard when John was able to read him so quickly. With Akame, he had come to expect it constantly, but John was different. Sometimes, Gin mused, he forgot how well his friend really knew him. Not knowing how else to react, the Akita smiled slightly.

"Yes." he said, feeling slightly liberated for admitting it. "I just…I always thought of my father as this peerless leader – "

"He was." John said bluntly and Gin kept going.

" – and it… I just never thought of him as having a rival." he said. "To me, nobody could rival him."

"You could." John said quietly and Gin's smile widened.

He gave a touched, appreciative nod and John turned to look at the sky as well.

"All dogs have enemies, Gin." he said. "Especially dogs as great as your father. Having enemies means you stood up for something. It's a good thing."

"I guess so." Gin replied, then snorted amusedly. "After all, I seem to recall you and I not seeing eye to eye, John. Once upon a time."

The Shepherd snorted with a grin.

"My point exactly," he smirked with a self-important swagger. "Besides, maybe Ben's going senile. Having faced Riki in battle once, I somehow doubt this Draven fuck could've lasted any length of time against him either."

"I wouldn't underestimate him, John." came another voice suddenly. "You know that's never a good practice for a leader to start."

Both males turned at once and saw Akame ascend the last few rocks up to them, the same stoic look on his face that seemed to be plastered there on a regular basis. John snorted again.

"Thanks for the tip." he said sarcastically. "And for the record, neither is being a buzzkill."

The Kishu chuckled at the playful insult.

"It was my pet name back home in Iga." he smiled, then turned to Gin. "Everything all right?"

The Akita nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah." he said. "Just clearing my mind."

Suddenly, John nudged his shoulder with a paw.

"Gin," he said, and it was the suddenly tense tone in his voice that made the Ohu leader turn to see what the matter was.

As soon as he had, he followed the Shepherd's gaze down Gajou's side to the edge of the forest that surrounded the stone fortress on three sides. There, at its border to the South, stood two dogs. Gin frowned and took a step forward at the same time Akame did, both of them trying to get a better look. One, it seemed, was a Tosa, though they couldn't make out who. The other though, was partially in shadow, and couldn't be seen very well from their distance. They appeared to be quietly talking with one another.

"Is that Musashi?" John asked warily, finally recognizing him. "Who the hell's he talking to at this time of night?"

"Maybe one of his troops." Gin replied, an uncertain note in his voice that clearly displayed doubt at his own words. "Let's go check it out."

At that, the three leaders quickly leapt down the boulders of Gajou to the plain at the bottom, breaking into a quick jog as soon as their feet touched ground. Moments later, they trotted up to the duo.

"Musashi," Gin hailed his friend, making the Tosa turn in clear surprise. "What's going on?"

The fight dog scanned the three leaders with his gaze before turning to Gin apologetically.

"I didn't realize you were awake, Gin." he said. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No," the Akita said dismissively. "It wasn't you. I couldn't sleep. Why are you out here?"

"I'm…" the Tosa paused. "Getting a progress report from down South."

"On "The Nomads"? Any word?"

"Just one." the other dog replied instead. "Hello."

Gin froze instantly. Familiarity hit him like a lightning bolt as the voice died away and he straightened up in surprise at the same time John and Akame did beside him. Then the dog stepped more into the light from the shadows he'd been standing in. Gin heard John suck in a sharp breath.

"Zach!" he exclaimed in a shocked voice and the dog smiled widely.

There was no mistaking it. Standing before them, panning his warm gaze from one to the other every few seconds, was Zach of Ibaraki. Gin stepped forward with a shocked look of his own, feeling a smile spreading over his muzzle at the sight of their old friend.

"Zach!" he echoed, looking the Malamute up and down. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back!"

Zach looked at the ground almost guiltily.

"I'm not." he said softly. "It's just that I promised Musashi I'd update him on what was happening down in Shikoku. I came to keep that promise."

Gin sighed with an almost proud nod, marveling at how much the other male had changed. The Malamute had grown even taller in the years they'd been apart, and now was built more like a fighter than he'd ever been before, a result of his training with Musashi most probably, Gin told himself. Scars decorated his lithe, powerful form like battlefield trophies and through his intact right eye, a particularly deep one traced its way diagonally down his face to just above his upper lip, a reminder of what he and John had gone through all those months ago. Still though, he had the same fire and playfulness in his eyes that had always been there, and though a hint of sadness now joined it, he still seemed to be the same Zach he'd always been. As the Akita thought this, John and Akame stepped up to the Malamute simultaneously, both of their tails wagging slightly in happiness at seeing him again.

"And here I thought I'd gotten rid of you for good." the Shepherd teased, making Zach flick his sole remaining ear in his direction.

The Malamute grinned and placed a paw on his shoulder in a friendly gesture, one that John returned moments later.

"Karma's a bitch, ain't it?" he said and then smirked. "Wanna hug?"

John snorted.

"Only if you admit I'm better than you." he said and Zach's grin widened.

"So 'no' then." he retorted and then turned to the last remaining member of the trio. "Sir."

He had nodded respectfully at Akame as he said it, and the Kishu stopped visually inspecting his former student long enough to return it.

"It's good to see you, Zach." he said. "How have you been?"

This made the Malamute pause.

"I'm…" he said. "Good. Musashi's been very kind and I settled in well. The only real black spot is this whole "Nomad" thing."

"We could really use your help, Zach." Gin said, meeting his gaze. "Everyone else is already gathered."

"…I can't, Gin."

"Why the hell not?" John demanded and Zach looked at him calmly.

"I have another assignment." he said.

"What assignment?" Akame asked, cocking his head and Musashi jumped back in.

"Gathering pet dogs together for a resistance." he said. "They're the ones "The Nomads" are starting to target."

"If I can get enough of them to join the fight against them," Zach chimed in. "Then our chances of beating these thugs go way up."

Gin frowned.

"There's other dogs that could do that instead of you." he said. "I'd prefer it if – "

"Gin." the Malamute interrupted, looking at him apologetically but firmly. "I can't. I'm sorry. There's reasons other than the one I told you as well. I have…someone waiting for me back in Shikoku."

"Is this person the reason you decided to stay?" Akame asked slyly and Zach nodded with a ghost of a smile.

"You're my brothers," he said, "You always will be. But at least for now…I can't stay."

Gin sighed, trying not to display his disappointment.

"I understand." he said.

The Malamute looked at him as soon as he said it.

"I actually have to head out right now." he said, then frowned seriously, "But I did see something on the way up here you should probably know about."

Gin and Akame exchanged a glance.

"Like what?" the Akita asked warily and the Malamute met his gaze.

"When I was coming up a little ways South of here in the Akita Prefecture," he said. "I saw a group of dogs that looked like seriously bad news heading Northwest towards the sea."

"Northwest?" Akame repeated with a frown.

"Yeah." Zach nodded. "And they looked a hell of a lot like "Nomads". I could be wrong though. They looked more like they were going towards Tokobu Valley than up here. Still, I figured you should know either way."

Gin froze, his eyes widening as he looked at Zach in sudden fear.

"T-Tokobu Valley?" he echoed and the Malamute nodded.

As soon as he did though, Zach turned slightly and made to leave.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer." he said with a look of genuine regret. "Tell Kuro, Chutora and Smith I said 'hi'."

Then he smiled warmly at Gin.

"You'll see me again." he said. "I promise. Good luck…leader."

Then he turned and sprang off into the woods, disappearing from view moments later. Gin didn't even have the voice to call anything after him, despite his happiness at seeing his old friend apparently doing well. His mind was too fixed on what Zach had said. Swallowing hard to fix his suddenly dry mouth, Gin turned to John, who had a similarly fearful look on his face. Akame and Musashi immediately picked up on it, turning to their friends instantly once they had.

"What is it?" Akame asked concernedly. "Gin, what's wrong?"

The Akita looked at him slowly, worry etched into every inch of his face.

"Ben said Draven was my father's enemy." he said softly. "Which means that he would know where my father came from, and what his life used to be before he was the leader of the Ohu Army."

"So?" Musashi asked with a frown.

"So," Gin replied. "My family lives in Tokobu Valley. My mother and brothers…and Daisuke."

"So does my former Master." John added.

Gin nodded, the night suddenly feeling much colder to him than it had before.

"They're headed right at them." he said.


	15. Final Story: The War, Part 3

**Author's Note: **Part 3! I'm really sorry about the long wait between this chapter and the last one. On top of writer's block and real life getting in the way repeatedly, I overwrote the file twice (because I'm an idiot) and had to rewrite it both times from scratch. On the other hand, I like the way the final version came out, so I hope you guys all enjoy it as well. This chapter contains some character development for a few important characters and a subtle hint as to an important plot point later on down the road (kudos to anyone who spots it - not that I'll tell you if you're right or not :)). It also contains some of the more violent scenes from early on in this story and a implied act of...a more mature manner. Therefore, enjoy yourselves!

Thanks to **0553140** and **Nahualmorph** for the reviews on the last chapter and anyone who faved this story! You guys rule!

* * *

**-Part 3: Coming Home-**

Sleet stung at Gin's face like thousands of tiny knives as he ran, his swiftly moving paws kicking up a spray behind him as each of his footfalls left the ground and repeated the motion over and over. The storm had started less than half an hour ago, but already it felt like it had been going on forever…a feeling the Akita was sure his companions shared. It certainly felt like forever since he had been this way, but with the ever-present figures of John and Akame tailing him like duplicate shadows, that fact didn't work its way under his skin as much as he thought it would. On the contrary, it was other matters related to their sudden mission that bombarded him with anxiety and fear.

'Go on. Don't look back.'

Those had been his mother's final parting words to him as he ran off to join Ben and his pack all those years ago, and now that he was on his way towards her for the first time since, Gin wondered what he would even say to her when he came running into town. Was she even still alive? He hadn't heard news to the contrary, but he also hadn't been checking up on her either.

'Yes,' he told himself, 'She's still alive. I would've heard if she had died. …But what about Daisuke?'

It was confronting the young man that Gin somehow feared even more, and though he wanted badly to see his former best friend once more after so very long, another part of him felt guilty for leaving at all. There was no way Daisuke could have understood the reasons he had to go. How could he have? To him it probably had just seemed like abandonment, and that thought stung Gin squarely in his conscience. The Akita shook his head, dispelling the disquieting thoughts from it. First things first, he knew…they had to stop the Nomads from reaching both of them. Zach had seemed pretty certain that the dogs he had seen were up to no good, and Gin was inclined to believe him, trusting the Malamute's instincts enough not to take any chances, especially with his family. Certain things about the sudden meeting with the group's former member confused him though, mainly why he had seemed so determined to personally tackle a mission so mundane for a dog of his talents.

'Maybe he hasn't gotten over what happened in Shikoku after all.' the Ohu leader pondered. 'That would explain why he didn't come back before now, and why he shut himself off from us…which would in turn explain why he didn't know about Chutora.'

That seemed like a satisfactory answer to Gin, and though a lingering doubt nagged him, he didn't have time to focus on it for long. Akame spoke up from his right, speaking loudly over the sounds of the weather around them.

"Leader," he called. "We're coming up on Tokobu Valley! Your mother's village should be just ahead!"

"I know," the Akita replied seriously. "Let's not waste time talking! We need to get there before anyone else does!"

Both males answered with affirmative grunts and Gin pushed himself faster, moving at great speed as they flew up the last hill and suddenly found themselves overlooking a sleepy human village, it's buildings still mostly dark as the town's inhabitants prepared to awaken to the new morning that was quietly creeping in amongst them. As it was, a few of them were already up and about, walking down the town's dirt roads with a sense of purpose, as if they knew exactly where they wanted to go and wouldn't let anything stand in their way of reaching there. Amongst these early risers was a group of young men heading towards the woods at the opposite end of town, each of them carrying bags as they prepared for a trip of some kind.

As soon as he saw them, Gin skidded to an abrupt halt, a cloud of dust and water erupting around his paws as his claws dug into the dirt beneath him. At the back of the group, where the Ohu leader's gaze immediately fixed, a tall young man with short black hair struggled to catch up to his friends, fiddling with a zipper on his bag as he did. Gin felt a rush of nostalgia fill him. He would recognize Daisuke anywhere. That, however, was not what had given him pause. The group of dogs covertly trailing in his wake held that honor, and Gin felt his heart leap into his throat as he saw them in an attack formation, their movements swift and silent as they hunted the group like prey. He wasted no further time.

"Akame!" He said. "Go to where my mother is and get her! John, come with me!"

Neither male acknowledged him but immediately leapt into action, the latter following Gin down into an alleyway as they sped off after Daisuke and the former leaping around the corner of a nearby building and disappearing from sight.

* * *

Akame picked up his pace as he skidded around another corner and his target came into view. The house that once had been his leader's home lay on the western border of town, surrounded on one side by a small grove of trees and shrouded in darkness as the storm floated by overhead. The ninja dog scanned it with his piercing gaze. Though on a better day it would surely have been pleasant to look at, now it seemed to have an aura of doom resonating from every board and brick, and Akame was more than a little wary as he vaulted the perimeter fence with ease and landed in its spacious yard. The moment he had, he looked around carefully. The house itself seemed quiet, devoid of any activity or life, and Akame was far more interested in the barn-like building that hid behind it like a shy child behind a parent, its side just poking out from around the back. The ninja dog trotted towards it slowly and took it in, the raised slatted roof, the lanterns hanging on the wall…and the motionless figure lying in its gaping main doorway.

"Shit!" Akame swore aloud and bolted forward, hay flying out from under his paws as he skidded to a halt.

As soon as he reached the figure's side, his fears were confirmed. A red-furred female Akita lay in a slowly expanding pool of her own blood, the pungent red liquid soaking steadily into the hay that covered the floor around her. Her throat was partially slashed and was the main source of her bleeding, but Akame also noted that she had deep bite marks on the back of her neck and stomach, suggesting that her attackers had tried to force information from her before delivering the fatal blow. He looked at her face. Despite her clearly advance age, she was also strangely beautiful, and Akame had a feeling she always had been.

'As expected from Riki's mate.' He thought sadly, taking a step away from her still form. 'I'm sorry that we were too late.'

Suddenly, she coughed weakly and Akame perked up in shock, immediately rushing back to her as soon as he heard it.

"Be still!" He commanded softly. "You'll hurt yourself more!"

"Wh-" she whispered. "Who a-are -"

He laid a paw on her shoulder gently.

"I'm a friend of your son, Gin's." He said. "We came to help."

"G-Gin!" She gasped, perking up slightly at the name. "Oh, Gin…"

"Please don't move!" The ninja dog pleaded quietly, trying to lick her wounds softly. "Who did this to you?"

Fuji breathed shallowly.

"He s-said he was a-a police d-dog…" she rasped. "But I kn-knew something was - was wrong."

Akame growled.

"Jacim…" he half spat and Fuji didn't acknowledge him.

"I didn't t-tell him…" she said, meeting his sympathetic gaze. "He asked m-me where my so-sons were...but I wouldn't t-tell him…"

Akame forced a smile, trying to stem the bleeding even though he knew it was useless.

"You saved them." He said. "They owe you their lives twice now. "

"I-Is Gin-?"

"He's fine." The Kishu reassured her. "He's a strong male."

Fuji got a nostalgic look in her eyes and closed them as she laid her head down gently.

"D-Don't tell him… she begged softly. "Say that I d-died before…that it wasn't his fault..."

She was rapidly losing strength, Akame saw, and though she hadn't been clear on her request, he understood anyway.

"I won't." He replied gently, and she looked much more at peace then she had before.

"He's so much l-like his father…" Fuji breathed, looking up at him again. "...S-So very much…like Riki…"

As she said the words, a proud look passed over her face and she laid her head down once and for all. Then Fuji of Tokobu Valley closed her eyes forever and was still. Akame winced openly, lowering his head in sorrow. He would honor her final request, though it pained him to lie to his friend. Gin had enough to deal with without this. Lifting her lifeless body onto his back gently, the ninja dog scattered hay over the blood pool and then leapt back over the building's perimeter fence, intending to bury her quickly on the outskirts of town with as much honor as he could give. Then he needed to get to Gin…

* * *

Gin picked up his pace as he changed streets once more, water continuing to splash up from his every step as he and John closed in on their quarry, both of them on high alert as they prepared to intercept the strange dogs before they could cause any damage of any kind. Blinking rainwater out of his vision, the Ohu leader paused at an intersection and whipped his head around, trying to find any sign of either Daisuke or his pursuers and grunting in annoyance when he located neither. Glancing over at John, he saw his friend with his nose to the ground, trying to pick up any fresh scents that may have been left behind. Gin took a step his way.

"Anything?" he asked and the Shepherd shook his head.

"No." he said gruffly. "Where the hell did they all go?"

Gin clenched his jaws tightly, looking around one more time.

"We should split up." he said. "We can't let them get to – "

"Mister! Hey, Mister!"

Both males whipped their heads towards the sudden voice in surprise, pulling back in confusion when they saw a young pup standing beside them a few feet away. Gin frowned. The newcomer was a young Dalmatian, not much older than a few months, and he seemed to be scared of something. Putting aside his curiosity as to how the pup managed to sneak up on seasoned warriors like themselves, Gin turned to face him, hearing John's voice break their silence before his could.

"Not now, kid." the Shepherd said rudely. "We're busy."

"B-But there's a human!" the pup squeaked. "In the junkyard!"

He turned and motioned over his shoulder with his head at a nearby tall fence.

"A bunch of big dogs jumped on him and dragged him inside! I think he's hurt!"

Gin's blood ran cold.

"Show me!" he demanded, taking a step forward. "SHOW ME!"

The pup nodded fast and ran off towards the fence, his tiny legs making it so both Gin and John passed him after only a few strides. Gin didn't care. Leaping the fence in one bound, he whipped his head around powerfully as John landed beside him, looking for any sign of the human he knew had to be Daisuke. That's all he had time to do. Suddenly, something hit the Akita from behind hard and sent him flying face first into the dirt a few feet away, John landing beside him with a pained grunt. Then teeth tore into him from all sides, the weight that had put him down in the first place staying on his back as sharp pain shot through his neck, legs, stomach, tail and flanks. Panicking, Gin lashed out as hard as he could in every direction, throwing most of his attackers off with grunts of pain and managing to tear the throat out of one before he was knocked onto his back and the rest were on him again, more dogs joining them in holding him down as John cursed and snarled somewhere nearby. Then, before he could fight any more, he was flipped back onto his stomach and held down by at least 7 dogs, all of them putting their full weight into him so he was immobile. Gin growled, wincing from the attack as he looked at what now lay in front of him. Standing on top of a pile of wrecked cars a few feet away, his dark brown eyes scanning the scene with a triumphant, smug look, stood a large Norwegian Elkhound, 2 subordinates flanking him on either side as he remained motionless atop his perch. At his feet, so small he only came up to his knees, was the pup they had followed, and Gin let out a small growl of anger. They'd been tricked. The Elkhound remained silent for a moment, then turned his head to the pup, keeping his eyes locked with Gin's as he did.

"Thank you, Hinata." he said, his voice smooth and disarming. "You can go now."

The pup seemed to pout slightly.

"But you said I'd get a reward!" he whined. "I did good!"

The Elkhound turned to face him with a smile that made Gin's danger instincts go wild.

"You know," he said. "I did, didn't I? Well, I'm a dog of my word kid. Turn around and close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Because this reward is a surprise." the Elkhound said, nosing his cheek like a teasing father would.

The pup nodded excitedly and did what he said, turning around and shutting his eyes tightly, his tail still wagging in happiness at the reward he was about to receive. For his part, the Elkhound turned and smirked at Gin.

"Watch this." he drawled almost lazily. "This is my favorite part."

Then, before Gin could do a thing, he reached behind him, grabbed what looked like a machete in his jaws and brought it down on the pup's neck as hard as he could, decapitating him in one blow and sending a spray of blood spattering all over the wrecks lying nearby. Gin's horrified gasp turned into a full on snarl at that, his ears hearing John doing the same beside him as his captors stomped on his face repeatedly to keep him under control. Up top, the Elkhound tossed the blade aside, turning back to Gin with a satisfied look as it fell with a metallic sounding 'CLANG' out of his view.

"Praise be to God." he grinned and Gin heard a chorus of voices echo him from every side of the junkyard, his instincts estimating at least 30 or more dogs from just those words alone.

The Akita trembled in hatred as he glared up at the enemy leader.

"Which one are you?!" he snarled furiously. "Draven? Jacim? I'm assuming you're not 'Mercy'."

The dog shook his head, giving a 'tsk-tsk' noise as he did.

"Gin of Ohu." he said. "You're taller than I thought you'd be. You know following people is a dangerous habit."

"How **dare** you bring this fight to my home!" the Akita growled in reply, still struggling against the grip he was being held in. "And using that poor kid! I ought to kill you where you stand!"

At those words, Gin felt the jaws on the back of his neck tighten and a new voice spoke up from right above him.

"Should we kill them, Jacim-sama?"

"Not. Until. I. Say so." came the blunt reply and the dog who had spoken stepped off of Gin to move forward in protest.

"But sir," he said. "They **pollute** this place with their filth! Lord Draven gave us specific orders to – "

"Tell me my orders again, captain." Jacim growled with a deadly look. "And I'll remind you why they call me 'Wrath'."

The dog, a Coonhound, seemed to whiten beneath his fur and scrambled backwards with a deep bow, resuming his position atop Gin. For his part, the Akita looked over and exchanged a glance with John, the Shepherd returning his nod as he understood the silent order to wait for his leader's signal. Then Gin turned to glare at Jacim again, the Elkhound seeming lost in thought as to what to do with them.

"I thought you were a police dog, you pathetic disgrace!" the Ohu leader snapped, trying to provoke the Nomad general. "How does it feel to betray everything you were supposed to stand for? You were supposed to fight for **justice**, not your own selfish needs! Males like you make me ashamed to be one."

Jacim's eyes flashed angrily, his whole body tensing up as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Don't you talk to me about justice, you fuck." he spat, taking a step forward. "I have spent the last 5 **years** making sure that every last dog I came across was happy, was safe…all while sacrificing everything I wanted for myself, because I truly believed that people were inherently good. And you know what? Not a single one of them returned the favor. The world is cruel…full of arrogant, violent, pathetic, **useless** people who expect the world to be handed to them on a silver platter, while everyone else just caters to their every whim."

He paused for a moment and then shook his head slightly, his gaze turning, if possible, even colder.

"Well I'm done." he finished. "I've had enough. They come into this world blind, helpless, and whimpering for their mother…it seems only fitting that they should leave it the same damn way."

Then he looked at a dog over Gin's shoulder, and the Akita knew instantly who it was.

"**Now**, captain." the Elkhound hissed. "Kill them."

That was what Gin had been waiting for. As soon as the jaws on him loosened slightly, their respective owners moving to go for the killing blow, he shouted "John, now!" and pushed up as hard as he could with all four of his legs, sending his captors flying in all directions and hearing John's do the same to his right. Then they went to work. Swinging around as two dogs lunged at him, Gin slashed one across the face with his claws and grabbed the second by the throat, tearing it out as soon as he had tightened his grip enough. From there he dodged left and right, avoiding bites and slashes and leveling the perpetrators with hard kicks and body slams, hearing yelps of pain mix in with the telltale snarls of a fight in progress.

Over to his left now, John slashed back and forth like a mad dog, bodies flying everywhere as his attackers flew away from him in geysers of blood, one of them pawing at an empty eye socket screaming while another dragged himself away with his front legs, his entrails trailing behind him from a split open stomach. Gin didn't pay much attention to his friend's battle, however, as he was too caught up in his own. Head-butting a Tosa between the eyes, he grabbed the dog's stunned form and swung him around like a weapon, sending his comrades staggering and flying away into the rusting corpses of the cars nearby, a dull 'THUNK' echoing around the area with each hit that landed. Then suddenly, Gin was grabbed from above and thrown hard into the junkyard fence, the wood exploding outward as he tumbled right through it and landed in a snarling heap, a new attacker on top of him. It was Jacim.

The Elkhound grabbed him hard by the throat and shook him like a rag-doll, smashing him into the ground repeatedly before throwing him back onto the battlefield with an enraged snarl, immediately lunging for his throat as Gin prepared a counterattack. Before he reached him though, a white blur came flying in from the side with a hideous snarl and hit Jacim like a freight train in the ribs, sending him flying so hard into a nearby wrecked car that he dented the metal of its door. Gin recognized his savior immediately. It was Akame! The ninja dog immediately dodged a retaliatory bite by the ex-police dog and smacked him across the face with a paw, grabbing his ear in his teeth immediately afterwards and, in one swift motion, ripping it off with a sickening sounding tearing noise. Jacim howled in pain and lowered his head, seeming to protect his face as the enraged Akame moved at him again. Gin shot to his paws, seeing the trap before Akame did and shouting at him to "Watch out!". It was too late. As the ninja dog came close enough, Jacim whirled around with a metal pipe in his jaws and smashed him in the side of the head with it as hard as he could, sending the Kishu crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. This done, he stood over the white-furred dog and began hitting him in the face with it repeatedly, aiming viciously at his eyes as Gin launched himself forward and kicked the Nomad general in the side as hard as he could, sending him flying through the junkyard fence into the street with multiple splinters of wood sticking out of his legs and flank.

Before the Akita could attack him again though, he was intercepted by more of the Elkhound's troops and managed to look over long enough to see Jacim take off running down the street, fleeing back towards the forest as his number of subordinates began to dwindle against the three seasoned Ohu leaders. Gin yelled in alarm, sending dogs flying left and right as he tried to pursue the Nomad general…but to no avail. By the time he reached the street and heard the last of the battle winding down behind him, Jacim was nowhere in sight, the still pouring rain and sleet washing away his scent as soon as it fell. Swearing in frustration, the Akita looked over and saw Akame leap up to the top of a nearby building, blood pouring down his face from where the pipe had hit him.

"Anything?!" Gin yelled and the Kishu shook his head a few moments later.

"Nothing!" he replied with a quick glance, his one eye already swollen shut. "He's gone, Gin!"

Gin swore again and turned to see John pad up to him, Akame leaping down to join them as the rain washed out the blood staining their respective fur coats.

"What now, leader?" the Shepherd asked, looking invigorated by the brawl instead of hurt by it.

Gin looked around him, seeing nothing but the motionless, dead forms of their opponents littering the ground in a pattern-less mass.

"We should check on Daisuke and your old master." he said. "Make sure none of that bastard's troops…slipped away."

The Akita trailed off as he finished, both of his friends following his gaze over John's shoulder to a dog that was slowly pushing himself to his paws, trying to quietly sneak away before they noticed him. Gin recognized him instantly as the Coonhound from earlier and stormed forwards towards him in a rage, grabbing him by the throat before he could react and slamming him down on the ground on his back, releasing his grip only after John took his place as their enemy's potential killer. Then he put a paw on the other male's chest and glared furiously into his eyes.

"Where's Jacim going?" he demanded.

The Coonhound smirked up at him.

"Heretic!" he said and John tightened his grip, making him choke mightily.

"John, ease off." Gin commanded and then looked him in the eye once again. "I'm giving you one last chance. **Where **is Jacim going?"

"Don't have a clue." the dog replied again slowly, glaring defiantly back at him. "Lord Draven was moving the pack as we left. He didn't tell us where. They could be anywhere by now."

Gin clenched his jaws in frustration, exchanging a look with Akame before narrowing his gaze suspiciously at their prisoner.

"Then why were you here?" he asked coldly and the Coonhound's own gaze grew icy.

"The family of heretics are themselves heretics." he hissed as if reciting from something. "They shalt surely be put to death."

Gin's stomach fell to his feet. His suspicions had been confirmed. He immediately pushed a paw into the dog's throat near John's jaws, cutting off his air entirely.

"What did you do?!" he demanded fearfully as the Coonhound choked and gagged. "**What** did you do?!"

"Leader!" Akame interrupted loudly, holding a paw out in front of Gin.

When the Akita looked at him, the Kishu met his gaze with a calming look, reassuring him without words that everything was fine. Gin paused, seeing something else hiding in his friend's gaze, sadness perhaps, before deciding to trust him and back off. Then he straightened himself out, glaring down at the Coonhound angrily.

"From this point on," he said. "You are a prisoner of the Ohu Army. You'll be taken back to our base, where you'll be held until your punishment is decided."

Then he leaned in closer.

"But…" he said. "I can see to it that you receive leniency…if you answer one last question, and answer it truthfully."

The dog looked up at him suspiciously, but then nodded, glancing almost nervously at both John and Akame as he did.

"Tell me everything you know about the dog known as 'Angel of Mercy'." Gin said sternly.

The Coonhound let his head fall back onto the dirt ground underneath him.

"I don't know." he said and Gin put more weight onto his chest.

"**Who** is he?" he demanded and the Nomad soldier glared up at him.

"I don't know!" he repeated loudly, then lowered his voice a little. "No one sees Lord Mercy. Ever. Only Jacim-sama and Lord Draven. He's like a ghost."

The three leaders exchanged a troubled glance at that and the Coonhound let his head fall to the side.

"He's like an angel." he muttered quietly, seeming to talk to no one. "Praise be to him."

Gin was about to open his mouth again and give John and Akame an order when a faint voice came to his ears, its timbre curious and concerned…and human.

"…ome on, Daisuke!" it was saying. "We've gotta go if you wanna catch the eclipse next week!"

"Just a minute!" a new one said. "I thought I heard something back here."

Gin straightened up in shock, his nervousness from before returning as he heard his old friend's voice growing steadily closer and closer. Suddenly, before any of them could react further, the Coonhound smacked John in the eyes with his paws and then twisted out of his grip as it loosened in surprise. Then he turned and ran out into the street as Akame tried to grab him and failed, leaping in front of a passing car as soon as he reached its dirt borders. His body shot sideways on impact and let out a sickening series of crunches as the car's wheels ran him over, blood pooling around his broken form as he skidded to a stop and the three Ohu leaders rushed to the roadside in shock. As soon as it happened, the car stopped and a woman jumped out of the driver's door, a horrified look on her face as a group of young men who had been walking back towards the junkyard rushed to her and the dog's motionless body.

"I didn't see him!" she cried frantically. "He just jumped out in front of me!"

Looking over, Gin's breath caught in his throat as he noticed that one of the young men was indeed Daisuke, his hand sweeping his black hair out of his face as he checked on the dog's status. Then, John nudged his shoulder and Gin turned and ran the other way down the street, forcing himself not to look back as they rounded a corner and disappeared from Daisuke's sight. As soon as they trotted to a halt, the Shepherd turned to his friend concernedly.

"You okay, Gin?" he asked and the Akita nodded.

"Yeah." he said in a subdued voice. "I just didn't think I'd see him so close."

Then a thought seemed to strike him and he whirled on Akame with a frantic look.

"Akame," he demanded. "My mother and brothers! Are they…?"

A strange look passed over the Kishu's face momentarily, but then he lowered his head a little, looking his friend in the eye almost apologetically.

"Gin," he said, and then paused for a moment. "I…I didn't smell your brothers' scents anywhere around the yard I went to, not even old ones. I think they must have moved on a long time ago."

"And my mother?"

"Gin…I'm afraid she died over a year ago." the ninja-dog said. "From what I can tell…it was natural causes."

The Akita winced openly at this news and took a moment to compose himself, looking strangely like it was something he had expected. John rested a paw on his shoulder.

"Gin?" he asked softly and the Ohu leader nodded.

"It's okay." he said. "At least it was peaceful…and Jacim didn't get to her."

"I think, leader," Akame cut in. "Something tells me…she was proud of you."

Gin smiled at him, touched, but then shook his head and turned to John.

"I think our work here is done." he said. "Do you want to check on your old master before we head out?"

The Shepherd seemed to consider this for a moment, then glanced at his friends with a small nod.

"Give me a minute." he said and then turned and ran off down the street, seeming to know exactly where he was going as he did.

* * *

John slowed his pace as his destination came into view, the building still looking exactly as he remembered it from its yard down to the color of its walls. Trotting up to a gate in the outer fence that surrounded it, he looked into the yard and saw the doghouse that used to be his resting in the exact same spot it always had, a chain snaking its way off of a nearby post and around its perimeter before ending at what it held…another German Shepherd lying beside it. John straightened up upon seeing this and the other dog's ears perked forward, as if it had heard the movement. Then its eyes shot open and it leapt to its feet with a growl, barking at him the moment their gazes met.

"Hey!" the other dog snapped. "Who said you could come here? This is my territory!"

John ignored him, looking instead at the human silhouetted in a nearby window, its posture suggesting that it was hunched over a desk writing something. He felt a sudden pang of nostalgia and turned his gaze away from Hidetoshi, looking instead at the ground between his paws.

"Hey, you hear me?" the other dog barked. "Get out of here!"

John met his gaze calmly.

"Take it easy, pal." he said. "I'm not staying. Just wanted to check that everything was all right."

"Yeah?" the other Shepherd replied. "Why's that? I've never seen you before."

John nodded at the figure in the window.

"You his partner?" he asked and the dog followed his gaze, nodding suspiciously moments later.

"Yeah." he said. "I back him up on his hunts sometimes."

John returned the nod slowly, swallowing an irrational sense of betrayal as he did.

"Does he ever talk about his former partners?" he asked and the dog looked confused for a moment.

"Just some guy named 'John'." he said after a pause. "Why?"

John didn't reply, swallowing hard as he looked back at the window. The other dog took a step forward, his aggressiveness gone.

"Why?" he repeated curiously, his eyes wide. "Is…Is that **you**?"

John was silent, shaking his head slightly to clear it as he turned away from the window. Then he glared seriously back at the other male.

"Take care of him." he said. "Or you answer to me."

Then he turned and ran off down the street the way he came, ignoring the other dog's cries of "Hey, wait!" as he did. By the time he reached Gin and Akame, they had already retreated to the border of the city, their stances suggesting that they had been waiting patiently for his return. Seeing him arrive, they turned and darted off into the forest at his side, all three of them leaving Tokobu Valley behind as they began the long trek back home to Gajou.

* * *

Jacim made no noise as he weaved through the trees of the darkened forest, his paws crunching down on dried, dead leaves and small patches of snow as he glared around him intently. Winter was beginning to tighten its grip on Japan, he could tell, and the more the warmth seemed to leave the world, the more in his element he got. A spasm of pain shot through him as he took another step, making him wince momentarily before feeling the remains of his ear go numb once more, a small amount of blood still oozing from its jagged edges.

'Well, THAT went well.' He thought with a snort. 'I'm lucky I didn't lose anything more important. That ninja dog is as tough as his reputation suggests.'

At that thought he growled, a pang of dark satisfaction filling him as he cracked his neck and caught the sharp odor of blood still emanating from his own fur, a reminder of the battle he had just survived. He smirked. Watching the stupid die was always fun, and the mere knowledge that they had a vast number of subordinate replacements at their disposal made it hard for Jacim to control himself. After all, they could have won that fight had Gorou and his useless little band actually known how to brawl effectively, a fact the ex-police dog had drilled into the heads of his few remaining subordinates by leading them up to the nearby Braeden Pass and tossing them one by one off the 300 foot drop to their doom below, taking particular satisfaction at the muffled impact noises they created upon landing.

He sniffed at the air, changing his direction slightly as his wandering mind came back around to his past once more, once too many times for his liking. He just didn't understand it. All his life he had had the law of the jungle branded upon his consciousness like it was the penultimate rule of life on earth. The strong survived and the weak did not. It was that simple. Oh, he had tried to negate that logic and live like any good male should, of course. Take a mate, save lives, raise a family to call your own.

But it didn't take long for him to get bored with it all, and soon his existence had spiraled into a never-ending circle of whining pups and complaining weaklings, all relying on his strength to further themselves while sacrificing none of the things he had. After a while it had just seemed logical to kill them. Helping filth like that was like electively growing a cancer. And, as it had turned out, he had the perfect position from which to negate this problem. After all, he was a police dog. No one would question him and no one would challenge him. What better way to rid the world of all the walking waste?

Now, all these months and years later, he found himself on the cusp of achieving his goal, making it so only a precious few remained to reap the rewards of their strength, him among them. …And then Gin of Ohu and his little brood had to go and butt their noses into his business, successfully destroying any covertness his and Draven's plans could've had. It made him angry...quite angry indeed. This in turn made him wonder about Draven's reaction to it all. How would he take it? As he approached their army's position, he considered the various ways to break the news of his encounter to the volatile cult leader…and their various ramifications. Emerging from the tree line at the edge of a clearing, he stormed purposefully towards the abandoned human temple he and his comrades had been occupying recently. Padding swiftly up the building's front steps, and ignoring the low, deferent bows his subordinates were giving him, he nudged the front door open with his head and slipped inside, strange wet sounding noises greeting his arrival.

"Why, Jacim," a calculating sounding voice spoke immediately. "How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

The police dog had learned long ago not to take Draven's condescending tone personally, and straightened up somewhat as he stopped in front of the pack leader, trying to ignore the body of the female at his feet, her head positioned between the cult leader's hind legs. Jacim smirked despite himself.

"Keeping busy I see." he said and Draven didn't react, looking down at his companion momentarily before smiling malevolently back at his fellow leader.

"What's your report from Tokobu?" he asked, not moving a muscle as he did.

"Mission mostly accomplished." Jacim replied professionally. "Gin's mother's been taken out, but his human friend managed to escape."

"And why is that?"

Jacim chose his words carefully, not being able to read the Shepherd-like dog's emotions as he stood there under scrutiny.

"The human was surrounded by others of his kind at all times." he said. "And before we could isolate him, Gin and two of his fellow leaders showed up to stop us…just like I told you they would. We had…a disagreement."

"So it would seem." came a voice from up in the rafters above Draven's head. "Love the new look, Jacim."

The Elkhound growled despite himself, his lips lifting in a silent snarl.

"Come down here, Mercy," he threatened. "And I'll be happy to give you another scar for your collection."

The other male seemed to grin toothily and stayed where he was, letting Draven take center stage again as the Nomad leader nodded at Jacim's missing ear.

"How did it feel?" he asked with disturbing interest and Jacim merely glowered, waiting for him to make his next move.

This came a few moments later. Looking down at his female companion in irritation, Draven leaned in and nuzzled her neck fur in what looked like compassion…that is, until he grabbed her head with his jaws and wrenched it sideways, breaking her neck with a sickening 'CRACK' that seemed to echo off the wooden walls as her body went limp atop him. Then, pulling himself free from her, the Nomad leader cracked his own neck and looked down at her corpse.

"Thanks for trying, sweetheart." he said. "But it does nothing for me."

Jacim watched tensely as he stretched himself slightly and then turned back to him, his gaze both calculating and serious as their eyes locked.

"Now that Gin and his pack know about us," he said. "This stealth we've been practicing is useless."

Then he looked up at Mercy as well and panned his gaze back and forth between them.

"Send word to our brothers down South." he said. "All of them. In every territory we've taken. Tell them to kill the hostages…kill them all."

Jacim nodded with an excited grin and watched as Draven turned to lay back down where he had been.

"It's getting dark." the Nomad leader smiled cryptically. "We should share the light. I think it's time we came out of hiding…once and for all."

The Elkhound's grin widened and he turned and exited the building, intending on completing his orders quickly so that they might reap the rewards of their action sooner. He didn't even pay Mercy a second glance as he passed him and disappeared into the trees, heading…who knows where. Jacim didn't care. Things were finally falling into place.


	16. Final Story: The War, Part 4

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I had a little more time this time so I managed to get the chapter out back on my normal schedule (every 1-2 months). To my dismay, however, NO ONE had reviewed the last chapter I posted, and that's just depressing. :( That said, I think this chapter is stronger overall, and contains one of my favorite endings of any of these parts. Once again, there are going to be around 10-11 parts in this final story arc, so I hope you all stay with me because I'm going to try to make it all worth it. :) Any reviews at all are greatly appreciated (I accept guest reviews!) and I hope you enjoy Part 4! Thanks!

* * *

**-Part 4: The Killer Angels-**

Gin had expected bad news awaiting him by the time he, John, and Akame got back to Gajou. After all, he reasoned, Jacim certainly wouldn't be waiting around after their clash in Tokobu Valley, and the way their luck had been recently he wouldn't have been surprised if an army of humans had suddenly invaded Gajou from the sky. What he didn't expect however, was for that bad news to seek them out before they even got there, and so when Kurotora met them at the border of Futago Pass, a serious look in his normally brash eyes, Gin knew that something else had happened even before he opened his mouth.

"Gin!" The Kai dog called as he trotted up to them, fallen leaves crunching under his paws. "What's the word from Tokobu?"

"The word is 'war', Kuro." The Akita answered solemnly and John nodded in agreement beside him.

"Yeah," he added, looking over at their comrade with a lick of his lips. "We met that Jacim bastard that Asher talked about. Pleasant little psychopath."

"I guess we got the fuckers all good and riled." Kurotora remarked with a snort, cocking his head at his friend's sarcastic tone. "You're not the only ones that had developments."

Gin tensed almost unnoticeably.

'Here it comes.' He thought. 'This must be why he's here.'

As if on cue, Kurotora turned to him, his serious look reasserting itself once more.

"Messengers started showing up earlier today while you lot were gone." He said. "Coming from all over the damn place, Saitama, Niigata, Hiroshima, even as far South as Nagasaki. All of 'em claimed they were under attack or had invaders moving their way. Looks like 'The Nomads' are stepping things up."

"Then we need to as well." Akame replied, looking at Gin intensely moments later. "We need to go on the attack, leader."

"Way ahead of you." Kurotora smirked, a proud glint in his eye as he fixed his gaze on the ninja-dog. "Hakuro and Musashi went to the Miyagi Prefecture a few hours ago with their forces to head off the attackers…or at least one group of them. One of their messengers just got back 10 minutes ago and said they had engaged an enemy force of about 50 dogs. Half the Miyagi clan had already been wiped out entirely before they interfered."

Gin clenched his jaws together in silent anger, feeling his hatred of Draven multiply. Then he looked around at his friends.

"Let's get back to base quickly." He said. "We need to stop this before it gets even more out of control."

His friends all echoed this sentiment with nods or light grunts and the Ohu leader resumed his charge towards the safety of Gajou without further delay, knowing that the rest of his comrades in arms awaited him there. Once they were under way it didn't take them long to reach the stone fortress, and the small group was greeted immediately by both Kisaragi and Asher, the two large males standing expectantly at its entrance. Kisaragi cut right to the chase.

"Have you been informed on what's happening, Gin?" He asked and the Akita nodded, not breaking his stride.

"Yeah." He replied. "Kuro told us. You two need to get everyone ready and get all the leaders out here so we can divide up our forces. We can't put off counter attacking any longer."

"You got it." the Mutsu leader said and bolted away as Asher nodded curtly and did the same, both males headed off in different directions as they did.

Then Gin turned to his remaining friends.

"You three go help them." he said, his gaze panning between John, Akame, and Kurotora. "Come get me when everyone's ready."

Then he turned before they could respond and headed quickly inside Gajou, not looking back as his companions watched him go from where they stood. As soon as he was gone, Kurotora glanced at his two friends.

"Is he all right?" he asked in mild concern. "He seems…distracted."

Neither John nor Akame answered for a moment, both continuing to look at the spot where their friend had disappeared before the latter nodded at the Kai dog.

"He's fine." he replied. "Why don't you go ahead, Kuro. We'll be right behind you."

The younger male looked skeptical, but didn't push the matter, turning instead and running off in the direction of his clan and the soldiers near them, most of them massing near the river canyon nearby. Once he had gone, John glanced at Akame as well.

"If I were describing Gin's state of mind, Akame." he said solemnly. "…'Fine' wouldn't be the word I'd choose."

The ninja dog sighed almost unnoticeably. Then he turned away as well.

"He can handle it, John." he said, effectively ending the discussion. "I have faith in him."

Then he sprinted off across the plains of Gajou towards where Wilson and Kouzou were grouping with the latter's troops, leaving John standing alone by the stone fortress's entrance. The Shepherd wrinkled his nose at his departing friend, feeling a little irritated for being run out on. He knew that the Kishu was probably right though. After all, Gin had more than proven himself to be an effective leader during wartime. Still though, he was worried about him, and the Ohu commander made a mental note to himself to keep a close eye on his best friend in the coming days to ensure that the pressure didn't get to him too much. Such was his duty. Then, with a simultaneous snort and shake of his head, John ran off too, running to get the last group of their soldiers ready to fight before Gin was finished with whatever he was doing inside their home.

* * *

Gin took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he rounded another corner inside Gajou and found himself alone at last. There was so much to think on, so much to consider before the inevitable battles to come, and the Ohu leader needed to clear his mind before they did.

'Peace,' he thought. 'That's all I want. Peace. Come summer I hope this has all passed by. I could use a day or two to just relax for a change.'

That thought calmed him down somewhat. The fields and valleys around Futago Pass were quite beautiful in the warmer seasons, and imagining peaceful days lazing around in their soft grasses was a fantasy that kept Gin going whenever times got especially hard…like they were now. When had it all gotten so easy? When had –? He shook his head, dispersing the thought.

'I need to concentrate on the battles.' he scolded himself lightly. 'I can't do this now. The others are counting on me. I need to concentrate.'

"You okay, Gin?"

The Akita whirled in surprise at the voice, momentarily annoyed that one of his friends had followed him inside after he gave them specific orders elsewhere. When he saw the face of Ben looking sightlessly back at him though, a look of silent concern resting there, he calmed down significantly. If there was one person whose company he wouldn't mind having at that moment, it was Ben's. Gin nodded at him.

"I'm fine." he reassured, grimacing the moment the words left his mouth for how unconvincing they sounded.

Sure enough, the Great Dane didn't miss a beat.

"You don't sound fine." he said observantly. "You wanna talk about it? I'm afraid I'm pretty useless these days in preparing for a battle."

Gin bit back the 'No' that lingered on the edge of his tongue solely because of the undercurrent of regret that laced his friend's voice when he spoke. Despite this, it was still difficult for him to confess what was plaguing him out loud and so when he finally spoke, it was only after an exceptionally long pause.

"I'm worried, Ben." he said.

"Not about losing the battle I take it." the older dog said as he sat down nearby. "The Gin I know is more confident than that."

"No." the Akita confirmed. "I…"

Ben waited patiently, giving him a moment to find the words he wanted to say.

"…I'm worried I'm losing who I am."

The Great Dane pulled back in surprise, blinking a few times as he did. Seeing his confusion, Gin turned to face him completely.

"The battle that John, Akame and I fought in Daisuke's village was…" he began and then paused to think again. "I killed over a dozen dogs in that fight and it…it didn't faze me. I didn't even hesitate, Ben, I just…reacted. I saw a dog kill a kid in front of me and it was just…so easy to put them all down. I didn't even once think of sparing their lives."

Ben was silent and Gin continued, pacing a little as he did.

"Even at the end," he said. "There was one we captured to interrogate and I…I told him he wouldn't be harmed if he didn't fight us but I didn't mean a word of it. All I could think about was killing him the first chance I got."

The Akita stopped and looked his older friend in his blind eyes.

"It's too easy, Ben." he said. "All these battles, all these things that have happened. It's so easy for me now to just…kill them. And with these battles still to come…I'm just scared things are going to get worse. I don't wanna be that dog, Ben, I just… I need to keep who I am…intact through this."

Then he stopped talking, mentally chastising himself for how lame it sounded as Ben sat there silently for a long time. Then the Great Dane sighed.

"I'm surprised," he began, and Gin prepared himself to be told off by his old mentor. "That it took this long for this to happen."

The Akita blinked in surprise as Ben gave him a knowing look.

"You're the face of what we did, Gin." he said. "We defeated Akakabuto together, but **your** name is the one that dogs everywhere are going to remember. I knew that when that happened, you were in for some rough times. Challenges, fights, problems…everything **but** the peace we fought for. And I knew that when that happened, you would be forced to kill. More than once."

Gin looked at the ground between his paws and Ben continued uninterrupted.

"I had the same thoughts back when we were gathering males for your father, and I can tell you right now that the only thing that kept me from losing my mind was Cross." he said bluntly. "Especially after I went blind. She kept me grounded, made sure that I remembered who I was…and who I needed to be. Maybe you should find someone like that for yourself, Gin."

The Akita considered that carefully, wondering why he had never thought of it before. Ben stood again.

"We both know that this is liable to get worse before it gets better." he said, not mincing words. "And we both know that before this is over, you will have to kill again. But when you do, Gin…remember what it is you fight for. This place, your friends…justice. Stay grounded, leader. I know you'll pull us through."

Gin looked at him in silence, smiling gratefully as he felt a great weight lifted from his conscience.

"What would I have ever done without you?" he asked and Ben chuckled.

"Gotten yourself killed a long time ago." he teased. "**That's** what you would've done."

Gin laughed out loud and nodded his head slightly.

"Probably." he agreed and Ben's smile widened slightly.

"Leader!"

Gin looked up in surprise. It was Smith's voice that had suddenly echoed through the stony corridors of Gajou and he stepped back around the corner into the main room curiously right as the Spaniel came into view.

"Smith," he greeted professionally. "What is it?"

The former platoon leader looked excited and seemed to be trying not to tremble in anticipation as he faced his friend and leader.

"We just caught a huge break, Gin." he said, his demeanor seeming much more like the old Smith than the one Gin had gotten used to since Chutora's death. "All the packs are ready to go outside and our scouts are reporting in to join us. But get this: one of our scouts said he was stopped by a dog at the border of our territory who said he knew where Draven, Jacim, and "Mercy" were all leading their troops to."

Gin's eyes widened at this and he stepped forward as well in anticipation.

"Smith," he said. "Did he – "

" – tell our scout everything he knew?" the Spaniel finished with a smile. "Yep. We know where these bastards are gonna be, Gin."

"Good work, Smith!" the Akita exclaimed with a grin, exchanging a nod with Ben as the elder canine turned and walked off to join Cross somewhere outside. "Let's go get everyone ready to move."

Then he paused as they turned to head outside as well, looking as if a thought had just occurred to him.

"Who was the dog that told us this?" he asked curiously and Smith shrugged.

"Beats me." he said. "Our scout said that he couldn't see him very well. He stayed in the shadows I guess. I know that sounds fishy, but there's a lot of refugees fleeing the Nomads' attacks, so it was probably one of them."

Gin frowned, his concern over this development only lasting a few moments as he shook his head and stepped back out into the afternoon sun, Smith tailing him in his wake. Immediately, he found the rest of his friends and their packs waiting for him patiently, led at the front by the immediately recognizable figures of John and Akame. He looked around at all of them.

"Are we ready to go?" he asked loudly and Akame nodded at him.

"Waiting for your orders, leader." he said.

To the ninja dog's left, Kurotora and Moss stood side by side with their packs.

"Let's get a move on, Gin!" the Kai dog called. "I'm ready to give these pricks the ass kicking they richly deserve."

"So am I, Gin." Moss said with a grin. "It's been too long since we fought together like this. Let's go do again, eh?"

Gin smiled over at him but didn't respond. Instead he looked over at Tesshin, Ken, and Kagetora, who were gathered off to the side of Gajou with a few of the guards.

"You three," he called and their ears perked up. "You'll be in charge of Gajou while we're gone! I'm trusting you with its safety, as well as the safety of everyone here. Tesshin, you're in command."

"Yes, leader!" the Koga ninja dog replied, but Kagetora looked incensed.

"Whoa, wait!" he protested. "Why can't we come and fight too?!"

"Because he's telling you to." Kurotora snapped at his eldest son. "Now live with it!"

"Because I don't trust Draven and I want someone I **do** trust here to protect this place in case something happens." Gin responded, ignoring the elder Kai dog.

Kagetora didn't look happy about this explanation, but nodded nonetheless, exchanging an irritated shrug with Ken as he did.

"What about Musashi and Hakuro?" Wilson asked, looking around at the others. "Are they gonna meet us where we're going?"

"We already sent scouts to let them know." Kisaragi said, meeting his gaze. "They should be there to help if we need it."

"Speaking of help," John cut in. "Where the hell is Zach and that pet dog army he promised us? Cause they'd sure be useful about now!"

"Zach?!" Smith asked in surprise as Kurotora gave the Shepherd a confused look as well. "When did **he** show up?"

"We'll just have to live without them, John." Gin replied, realizing that he had forgotten to tell his other friends about the nighttime meeting they'd had. "At least until Musashi shows up. Maybe **he'll** know where he is. Until then, stopping these guys is up to us."

He looked around at them all again.

"Males!" he called. "Let's move out!"

A chorus of 'Yeah!' responded from all sides and the Ohu leader walked forward purposefully towards the forest to the South, sensing John and Akame falling in beside him as they always had, Kurotora and Smith on either side of them. It would be a little bit before they got to their destination, he knew, but they would get there one way or another. Hopefully, come tomorrow, it would all be finished for good.

* * *

Gin knew even before they arrived that the strange land they'd entered would be their battlefield. He had no proof to support this thought; it was simply a feeling resting deep in his chest, bleeding into his instinct and making him cautious as they moved ever forward. As battlefields went, this one was certainly unusual, and as they approached the forest that sat to the East of the tall mountains of Yamanashi, the Ohu leader could smell a strange, pungent odor wafting through the air, seeming to come from everywhere at once. It very quickly became apparent that he wasn't the only one.

"Ugh!" Kurotora grunted, wrinkling his nose in displeasure as they stepped in amongst the trees. "What the hell is that smell?"

"It's sulfur." Wilson responded quietly and Gin could see small hot springs dotting the forest around them even as the sun began to fade in the Western sky.

"Well," Moss remarked, looking around at them as well. "At least we'll have healing springs for the aftermath."

"I wouldn't get too close to those." the Collie said with a glance towards him. "This is Jigokudani. Some of those pools are hot enough to scald you alive."

"Hell Valley?" Smith said, raising an eyebrow. "How pleasant."

"Keep an eye out." Akame ordered from up front by Gin. "They're close."

"You feel it too?" Gin murmured, glancing momentarily at his friend and advisor.

The ninja dog merely nodded, still scanning the forest for any sign of their quarry. Finally, as the trees began to thin and steep rocky cliffs rose up on their left, a winding river matching their course on the other side, both Gin and Akame stopped dead in their tracks together, the latter holding up a paw to ask for silence. Then he lowered his head to the ground and pressed his ear to the dirt, listening intently for a good 20 seconds. When he righted himself once more, he had a distinctly troubled look on his face, one that Gin could not decipher well enough to take its meaning. Before any of them could say a word though, a howl suddenly split the silence, its tone piercing and strong. Gin's head whipped towards the cliffs where it had come from, hearing his friends' identical reactions behind him. Then another howl sounded, this one coming from the forest in front of them, its slightly higher pitch proving it was a different dog altogether. By the time the third howl sounded from the river, its tone more menacing than the others somehow, Gin had realized what was going on.

"Everyone get ready!" he called behind him as the others dropped into battle stances, knowing that they had been spotted. "This is it! Remember, this is our duty as soldiers of Ohu! We must not fail!"

A number of voices answered him with excited or wary sounding grunts, but he paid them no heed.

"John," he said and the Shepherd turned to him instantly. "You, Smith, and Moss take the river. If Draven split his troops up, given the terrain, that's probably where 'Mercy' is."

Then he looked his friend in the eyes intensely.

"The three of you," he ordered. "Hunt him down."

John nodded determinedly.

"You got it." he replied in a voice that practically dripped with power.

Then he, Smith, and Moss took their troops and sprinted off towards the river, their thundering footsteps fading slowly as they departed. Gin turned the other way.

"Kisaragi," he said and the Husky met his gaze as well. "You and your brothers take Wilson, Kouzou and both of your packs and head up to the cliffs. Chances are, that's Jacim. He's yours."

The Mutsu leader nodded with a grunt and gestured to his troops almost instantly, all of them following him without question as he began running towards the giant sloping rocks, Wilson and the Saitama clan mixed in amongst them. Finally Gin turned to everyone that remained.

"The rest of us are in the forest." he said, and saw dozens of eyes staring faithfully back at him. "It's time we meet Draven of Osaka."

"Let's fucking do it." Kurotora snorted excitedly, battle ready as he always was.

To his right, Asher glanced at Gin.

"You sure Draven's in there, Gin?" he asked, squinting his eyes at the trees to look for movement as they started slowly forward again.

It was Akame who answered instead.

"Cult leaders are narcissists." he replied bluntly. "They want all eyes on them. If I were Draven in a battle…I'd come right down the middle."

"In that case," the police dog said, licking his lips. "Let's give him an opponent to meet, shall we?"

"Absolutely." Kurotora agreed and Gin and Akame both increased their pace, neither of their gazes leaving the forest as the sun descended ever lower in the sky.

From that point on it became a quick march, the sound of footfalls echoing louder as Gin and his troupe trotted towards the tall trees at the other end of their clearing. Then, right as they got to within 30 feet of the tree line, their enemies finally showed themselves. Dogs erupted from the wooded darkness in droves, all of them howling battle cries and charging. Gin and his friends however, did not charge back. Instead, they came to a dead halt with expressions of shock and surprise.

"What the…" Asher murmured, and Gin felt the same words rush through his mind as well.

The Ohu leader was caught completely off guard. Their charging foes were children. Puppies no older than a year, some as young as a mere few months, ran as fast as they could towards them, exclamations of "Kill them! Kill the heretics!" erupting from their small mouths. Gin didn't know what to do. These were kids! They couldn't attack kids this young!

"Uh, Gin?" Kurotora asked in a wary voice. "What the hell do we do?"

The Akita was given no time to think. From behind the puppies the real soldiers suddenly emerged, blood lust filling their eyes as they snarled and charged full speed towards the Ohu Army. Gin gritted his fangs. It couldn't be helped.

"Go!" he shouted, trusting his friends to know enough not to harm the pups, however brainwashed they might have been.

Moments later, the two groups came together with bone-crunching force, snarls raising in intensity as blood began to spatter from combatants on both sides. Gin ducked a bite at his face and slashed the enemy responsible across the throat, a jet of blood erupting from the impact point as he fell back with a whine and another two dogs took his place. Before they could intercept the Ohu leader though, Akame grabbed one of their comrades by the hind leg and swung him like a bat, making their heads collide with a dull 'THUNK' as their skulls came together hard and all three dogs slumped unconscious to the earth below, one of them twitching as he did so. A few feet away, Kurotora and Asher were fighting side by side, taking out multiple dogs at a time as their enemies kept on charging forward in droves. Gin grunted as he was smacked across the face, his head snapping to the side as a pup weaved precariously in between his legs. Dodging a second blow, he grabbed the dog responsible by the muzzle and hurled him into one of the nearby hot springs, a horrible scream erupting moments later as the hiss of scalding flesh began to sound from where he'd vanished. Then, despite all the chaos around them and Gin's own disgust at his enemy's demise, the Akita heard a voice speak out loudly, its sound as clear as if it's owner was standing right beside him.

"Go, my brothers," it said, and Gin didn't recognize the owner. "Make them bleed. Soak the dirt to sow our seed."

He came to an immediate stop, ducking a lunging enemy's attack as he did so and only vaguely hearing him fly straight into Kurotora's waiting fangs behind him. Nearby, Akame did the same, a startled expression on his battle-hardened face. The Kishu looked over at him in alarm.

"Gin, that came from the cliffs!" he shouted and Gin nodded, knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

"I know!" the Akita replied. "And that definitely wasn't Jacim!"

"No," came a voice from right behind him. "But **I** am."

Gin didn't even get a chance to turn around before fangs sank into the nape of his neck and he was smashed into the ground, his head pummeling off the volcanic rocks beneath them for only a moment before Akame leapt to his defense. His attacker relinquished his hold in order to avoid the Kishu's slashing razor sharp fangs and Gin was back on his feet in seconds. Sure enough, Jacim stood less then 10 feet away, his blood-spattered fur telling them that he had already seen significant action before reaching them. His smirking complexion filled in the rest of the blanks. They'd walked into a trap.

"Draven's on the cliffs!" Gin panted fearfully, exchanging a glance with Akame. "We have to warn Kisaragi!"

Akame nodded, turning to run towards the tall rock formations as Gin turned to face the Elkhound, his fangs bared and ready to bite. Right as Akame took to the air though, another shape came flying in from the side and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him down onto the ground with a force that made even Gin cringe.

"Akame!" he shouted and leapt at the dog, not getting more than a few feet before Jacim lunged at him, forcing him to go on the defensive and counter attack the Elkhound's flashing teeth.

As the two enemies squared off once more, Akame swung his hind leg up fast and kicked his attacker in the eye as hard as he could, a yelp erupting instantly on impact. Then the ninja dog twisted out of his grip and leapt back to Gin's side, limping a little as he did. Together they looked at the strutting Jacim.

"I'd like you to meet Kenta." he said, and gestured at the large Tosa that was now standing beside him, his eye slightly swollen from Akame's strike. "He's a former fight dog under your friend Musashi and is more than enough of an opponent for both of you. He'll be keeping you busy for a while Akame…while Gin and I figure out which one of us walks away from this."

He chuckled low in his throat at this as the Tosa licked his fangs and dropped into a battle formation. After a few seconds, Gin turned to Akame.

"We have to warn Kisaragi." he repeated quietly. "If you can get away, I can take both of these guys and buy you the time."

"Gin, don't be reckless!" the ninja dog hissed back. "You can't fight both of them at once!"

"Do as I say!" the Akita snapped, but before the white-furred male could respond, Jacim turned to Kenta.

"Break his back." he said to the fight dog. "Make it painful."

The huge male didn't wait another second. He lunged at Akame with surprising speed as soon as the Elkhound was done speaking, forcing the ninja dog to leap aside and begin dodging his attacks as quickly as he could, his speed allowing to just barely stay out of range. Gin didn't waste time either. Taking the initiative, he brazenly charged forward and attacked Jacim head on, grabbing the police dog's neck at the same time his opponents fangs sank into his. Then it became a contest of strength. Wrenching his head back and forth to try and rip at the Elkhound's flesh, Gin picked up his equally strong foe and slammed him into the ground with all his strength, almost immediately feeling a paw kick hard into his stomach and send him down as well. Then they rolled, snarls erupting from both of their throats as Jacim slashed Gin across the face and then bit him hard on the muzzle, making the Akita yell in pain before lunging with all his strength and slashing a bloody chunk out of the Elkhound's cheek, exposing his teeth beneath the gore and sending him into a stumble. Seeing this, the Ohu leader turned and kicked him in the jaw as hard as he could with his hind legs, hearing a 'CRACK' as Jacim crumbled to the ground and he turned his attentions back to the cliffside.

Up top, he could see a battle raging ferociously, the combatants mere silhouettes as they fought and gambled their lives. One in particular seemed to be on the receiving end of most of the assaults and Gin squinted hard to try to see him through the darkening night around them. The dog was very large he observed, with erect, pointed ears and a musculature that screamed 'soldier'. He saw another form lunge in from the side and grab onto the huge dog's neck, but to no avail. Though at first he didn't seem to react at all, the big male turned, shook off the second form, and proceeded to decapitate him in one fluid strike from his fangs, his victim's head rolling off out of sight as Gin heard a horrible scream echo across the battlefield moments later. He recognized it instantly and his blood ran cold. Kisaragi… His murder committed, the huge male turned once more and suddenly a voice came to Gin's ears, one that he knew had to be from this strange enemy.

"Fight on, my friends." the smooth voice chanted, and Gin recognized it as the one from before. "The moment when we bow to none, is when the moon swallows the sun…"

The Akita felt a chill go through him, despite how ridiculous the words sounded. It was Draven, he realized. The huge dog on the cliff was none other than the Nomad leader himself, speaking to his followers that were fighting nearby. At that moment, however, he was tackled from behind once more and thrown at one of the hot springs, his lightning quick reflexes alone allowing him to avoid a particularly painful and gruesome death. Then Jacim came at him again. Gin clenched his jaws together tightly. It was all going wrong. They needed to end this quickly and regroup…and see what damage had already been done. Leaping over the vicious Nomad commander's strike, Gin dodged a bite from one of his enemy's subordinates and put him down with a body slam, a yell of pain erupting from the soldier's mouth as he landed on a particularly jagged rock. Then a new howl echoed across the expanse.

"Come on!" came a wonderfully familiar voice. "Let's get in there! Charge!"

Gin looked up fast, blood dripping from his wounded muzzle as he saw Jacim pausing in place as well. There was no mistaking the owner. Hakuro of Hokkaido was charging from the tree line behind the Ohu Army, a whoop of excitement escaping his throat as his soldiers flanked him on every side. Beside him came Musashi and his fight dogs, all of them looking particularly ferocious as the grabbed the first Nomad soldiers they got to and laid into them, blood and screams sounding as soon as they had. From his position 10 feet away, Jacim reacted immediately.

"Kenta!" he called, and the fight dog looked over at him from where he stood, bits of flesh hanging off of him like vines from Akame's numerous strikes.

"Yes, Lord Jacim?" he replied, his voice starting to slur from repeated hits to the head.

"Keep them here." The Nomad commander ordered. "I'm entrusting this battle to you."

Gin leapt at him and slashed at his throat, anticipating a retreat. He only managed to graze the side of his neck as the Elkhound bounded away, pausing to face him moments later.

"Brothers!" he called. "Fight 'til the last dog! You shall earn your places in heaven!"

Then he sprinted away, Gin hot on his trail as he tried to follow him…until Kenta broke away from his battle with Akame and tried to grab the Ohu leader. Gin skidded to a halt and leapt backwards, just barely avoiding a potentially devastating blow to his throat. By the time he looked back up though, Jacim was gone. Swearing under his breath, Gin looked over his shoulder.

"Kurotora!" he called. "Hakuro! Take over here!"

Then he turned to his companion.

"Akame," he said intensely. "To the cliffs!"

"On it!" the ninja dog replied and bolted towards the looming rock formations, Gin right behind him as Musashi and Hakuro double-teamed the heavily wounded Kenta, bringing him to the ground with a yell of pain as Kurotora gave them support on the other side.

Leaving them behind, Gin and Akame leapt up from rock to rock, reaching the top together and whipping their heads around to see what the situation was. The moment they did, both of them gasped audibly in horror. Bodies were scattered all across the rocks and hills of the cliff and the more the two Ohu leaders looked at them, the more people they recognized. Wilson lay partially on his side over near a jagged drop, looking dizzy and unstable as he regained his feet. Kouzou was half off one of the edges, his hind leg sticking out unnaturally behind him at a strange angle as he remained motionless and unconscious. Behind him though was where the real carnage had taken place. The heavily wounded Kisaragi lay sobbing over the motionless body of a dog Gin immediately recognized with a thrill of terror as Uzuki, his throat torn open to the bone as his eyes stared unseeingly out in front of him, a look of vague surprise imprinted on his face. From there it just got worse. The dead forms of Hazuki and Minazuki also lay nearby, their bodies in various states of disrepair, the former's head completely separated from his body and lying near a gnarled tree growing a few yards away.

"…Wh…What happened?!" Gin demanded in a much weaker voice but the Husky didn't answer, devastated as he was.

"He's gone, Gin." Wilson gasped out and both the Akita and Akame were at his side in seconds.

"Wilson," the Ohu leader said, trying to keep the sadness and panic out of his voice. "Where did Draven go?!"

"Into the forest." came the pained reply, the Collie's legs shaking as Akame leaned against him to help him stand. "Gin, there's something seriously wrong with that guy. We hit him over and over again, but he didn't even flinch! I've never seen a dog take hits like that. Nobody's that tough!"

"Why was he even over here?" Akame wondered to Gin, then gestured down at the simmering battle below. "And then leaving his troops behind to die like it was part of his plan all along? This doesn't make any sense at all."

Gin nodded, hearing the quaver in his friend's voice as they both saw Wilson rush to Kisaragi's side and were reminded of their friends' fates.

"We need to regroup." he said. "Get Kuro, Hakuro and the others down there and fall back to the outskirts of the forest. I'll deal with things up here."

As he turned to run off though, he was stopped by Akame's voice calling his name.

"Gin!" the ninja dog barked, and looked his friend in the eyes when the Akita turned back to him. "What about John, Moss and Smith?!"

Gin tensed up immediately. He had forgotten about his other friends battling down by the river! The Ohu leader kept his gaze locked with Akame's.

"Shit…" he breathed in fear.

* * *

John stormed forward through the fighting dogs around him, paying their writhing and snarling forms no heed as he tried mightily to get to his real target. "Mercy"…

The battle had started as soon as his group had reached the river. They had been ambushed immediately from the side, their opponents trying to force them into the swiftly rushing water and end it all right there before they could fight back. He and the others had had other plans though. Moss and Jaguar had counter attacked to the front, heading off their assailants coming from that side while Smith had stayed with John and moved right towards the trees lining the riverbank, both of them dodging numerous attacks as they felled their foes as quickly as they came. Soon afterwards though, while leveling a Rottweiler that had foolishly tried to attack him from behind, John had seen a shape lurking back in the woods, its gait leader-like and professional as Nomads of all sizes gave it a distinctly wide berth. John had seen it instantly. Their enemies were trying to push them back away from this dog. It was "Mercy". After that, he had charged right through the Nomads' ranks, howling a battle cry and trying to get to the only dog he saw worthy of being his opponent. It hadn't gone the way he'd hoped. Mercy had fled deeper into the trees upon seeing him and John been forced to give chase, their path taking both of them away from where Moss and Smith were holding their own by the river's edge. That was where he found himself now.

"Get over here!" he demanded with a fierce growl, watching as the Nomad commander continued to keep to the shadows, not saying so much as a word as he did.

The Shepherd sent a charging opponent staggering with a rib-cracking shoulder check and then another behind him crumpled lifelessly to the ground seconds later, victim of a devastating kick to the jaw. John kept moving stubbornly, the sulfur odor around him practically eliminating his sense of smell.

"Show your face, you coward!" he snarled, determined to goad his enemy out into the open.

Mercy said nothing still, callously tearing out the throat of one of his own soldiers who fell in his way as he passed. Still unable to provoke the Nomad commander, John leapt forward and bit at his face, hitting nothing but air as Mercy danced aside and further into the shadows. John was beside himself.

"Rrr! Get out here and **fight** me!" he bellowed, teeth flashing as he lunged forward at the other male again.

Once more though Mercy jumped out of range, retreating into the darkness and pausing for a moment before cocking his head at John almost curiously. In the Shepherd's eyes, it was clearly a mocking gesture. Raising his hackles furiously, John was caught off guard when Mercy suddenly lifted his head and reacted as if he'd heard a voice calling to him, his attention instantly leaving their battle upon hearing some signal that John had clearly missed among the chaos. Moments later, he suddenly leapt off the ground with astounding speed and aimed himself at a low hanging branch that dangled tauntingly over their heads. It was a move to escape.

"Oh no you don't!" John snapped, lunging forward with a speed that surprised even him and grabbing the other male by the hind leg in midair.

Then he slammed him down into the dirt with all his strength and immediately was on him, sinking his fangs into the back of the Nomad commander's neck hard and fast.

"Look me in the eye, you bastard!" John yelled with an irate snarl, flipping him over onto his back so they were finally face to face. "Look me in the fucking – "

The Shepherd's words instantly died on his tongue. The face that stared back at him from beneath his pin was not that of a stranger and for the longest time neither of them moved, their gazes locked together as though by invisible chains. For his part, John felt his throat go dry and the world seemed strangely muted somehow as he tuned out the chaos around him and focused solely on the warm weight beneath his claws. Down in the dirt, Mercy stared back at him calmly, his impassive expression shaking the Shepherd to his core even as he successfully hid it. Then at last their silence was broken.

"Hello, John." The Nomad commander said softly.

Then, before the Shepherd could react, Mercy kicked him in the groin with his free hind leg and shot up both front paws to gouge him in the eyes as he yelped in surprise and pain. That was enough to jar him loose and the Nomad commander immediately threw him off with great force, sending the Shepherd flying sideways into a tree. Then, with John stunned, he rolled to his feet and bolted into the forest's shadowed confines, disappearing from view moments later. John made no move to follow and stayed where he was, the sounds of fighting beginning to dim behind him in the distance. He didn't care. He knew that he would never be able to catch up anyway. After all, Zach of Ibaraki had always been faster than him.


	17. Final Story: The War, Part 5

**Author's Note: **I'm not dead! Sorry about the wait, guys. My work schedule got REALLY hectic, and even though this is one of my favorite chapters of the whole saga, I got a bad case of writer's block and just didn't want to write. That being said, I think this came out really well and I hope you guys think so as well. I made it a little longer than normal to compensate for my lateness. There's a lot of battles in this one, so be prepared for some fight scenes! :) Hope you like it!

Thanks to Haildance, Nahualmorph, Katana, and F-Riviera for reviewing the last chapter! Really appreciate it guys!

* * *

**-Part 5: Mercy-**

Gin clenched his teeth together so hard it hurt, a cold chill sweeping through him as he wracked his brain for some comeback that would sweep away the words John had just uttered. When he could find none, the Akita resorted to stubbornly shaking his head.

"No," he said. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it, Gin." John growled caustically, pacing back and forth at his position across the mountainside clearing they were standing in. "I saw it with my own damn eyes. I fought him. The motherfucker betrayed us."

For a moment after this there was silence, a void of sound only broken by the footsteps and low muttering of their troops joining the post-battle regrouping of their packs around them. Then Smith spoke up.

"But why would Zach **do** that?" the Spaniel asked in confused concern. "He's not like the Nomads! What reason would he have to betray us?"

"**Every** reason!" the Shepherd spat in reply, turning to glare at him as the wind toyed with his fur. "Don't you remember what he was when we met him? When we **caught** him?"

He looked around at the rest of his friends wildly, all of them returning his stare with varying degrees of discomfort.

"A killer!" he finished with a growl. "He was a manipulative little sociopathic **killer** that we caught red-handed! We should've seen it all along! Of course he'd lie to save his own ass, pretend to be one of us! The bastard **played **us from the start!"

"I'm not so sure, John." Akame said, frowning in concentration as he sat on his haunches near Kurotora and Hakuro.

"You're not sure?!" John cried, whirling on him incredulously. "What more proof do you need, Akame?"

"I would've known if he was lying to me." the Kishu insisted in a deadly serious tone, though for a moment it sounded to Gin as though he was convincing himself as well as John. "Maybe he could've pulled it off once or twice without me knowing, but lying for **years**? No. No one is **that** good."

"They called him 'The Mastermind' for fuck's sake! Now at least I finally see why! We need to hunt him down and kill him before he does any **more** damage!"

"No." Gin replied shortly, finally speaking up again. "Draven is still the main threat. He's the one we need to kill. If Zach is truly one of them…"

He sighed deeply, feeling everyone's eyes fixed on him.

"…then I want him captured. I want to hear the reason why from his own damn mouth. Until then, only kill him if you have no other choice."

No one replied to this at first, and once more there was silence. That is, until John spoke up once more.

"No Gin." the Shepherd growled defiantly with a shake of his head. "He's mine. I'll hunt him down if it takes me the rest of my god damn life!"

And with that, he turned and stormed out of the clearing, his purposeful strides worrying the Ohu leader greatly as he watched him go. Seconds later Gin followed, his quick pace helping him catch up to his wayward friend a mere few hundred feet into the forest as Akame and the others wisely stayed behind, exchanging uncomfortable glances amongst themselves all the while.

"John." Gin called. "John!"

The Shepherd came to an abrupt halt the second time his name was uttered, whirling to face him atop a rocky crag as soon as he did.

"What?!" he demanded, and Gin nearly pulled back in surprise at the ferocity in his voice.

"John…" he said more quietly, hoping his friend would follow suit and remain calm. "I know you're angry…so am I…but I need you with me on this. We still don't even know what Draven is **doing**. We can't turn this into a vendetta."

"A **vendetta**?!" John sputtered, his face going from momentarily calm back to angry again in an instant. "How the hell is this **not** a vendetta?! We spared that bastard's life despite all he did! Then we let him into our home, near Ben and Cross's kids, near Tesshin…near us! We gave him second chance after second chance and he **still** turned around and stabbed us in the back the minute we let him go!"

"John – "

"I **told** you!" the Shepherd ranted loudly. "I said it from the start, back in Ibaraki, that we should've killed him, that he was too dangerous! But you didn't listen to me! You decided to be a bleeding heart, and **now** look at where we are!"

Gin felt slightly wounded by the remark and wrinkled his nose at his friend.

"You know, John," he said hotly, losing his own temper a little bit. "That's a good idea. Let's look at where we are. We, the mighty Ohu Army, are in **hiding**, licking our wounds because a dog we don't understand is running around like a maniac killing people!"

John met his gaze defiantly and Gin bristled even further, gesturing back at where the others were sitting.

"I'm not saying that Zach isn't dangerous, that he's not a big problem, I **know** he is!" he said. "But Kisaragi just lost his entire family because we didn't get Draven! So if you wanna go over there and tell him that Zach's more important than his brothers' killer then you be my guest!"

John's eyes widened slightly at this, and Gin saw his claws grinding the dirt beneath him furiously as he realized the truth in the Akita's words. Gin sighed, regretting snapping at his friend.

"John," he said, walking closer to him. "You've been with me since…forever. I have **always **been grateful that you were the one watching my back. But we're in trouble here…and I need you."

The Shepherd exhaled deeply, his head lowering slightly as he met Gin's gaze once more.

"We defeated Akakabuto." Gin said matter-of-factly, and then snorted. "Are we really going to let ourselves be defeated by a bunch of delusional pets?"

John smirked at this despite himself, looking slightly ashamed for his earlier behavior.

"Your father would laugh at us in the other world." he remarked and chuckled in agreement.

Then Gin gestured back towards the others.

"C'mon." he said. "Let's get ourselves outta this mess."

Sighing again, John fell in beside him as he began walking and soon they had returned to the clearing, regaining their seats amongst the others as soon as they arrived.

"All right." the Shepherd said loudly as all eyes fixed on him. "What the hell do we do?"

"We need to stop Draven." Kouzou said from his position across from Gin. "He's clearly the big threat here. We should deal with him first."

"But we still need to find them." Akame countered from the Ohu leader's left. "And Draven's the one we know the least about. He's definitely the most dangerous of the three of them, no one here disputes that, but I don't think we understand him enough to fight him."

"Wilson, Kouzou," Gin said, turning his stern gaze towards his two friends. "You two were actually there on the cliffside during the battle. Can you tell us **anything** about Draven that we don't already know?"

The latter shrugged.

"He hit me from behind as soon as we got up there." the Belgian Shepherd said. "I never even got a look at him."

"Wilson?"

"He was big." the Collie answered. "And I mean **really** big. I didn't get a good look at his face either because of the fighting, but judging by his body…I'd say Cross was right. He's definitely a hybrid of some kind."

"My guess is part-Wolf." Kisaragi's voice interrupted and everyone turned to see Musashi escorting him up to the circle.

"Kisaragi," Gin said sympathetically, his expression softening. "I am so sorry – "

"Let's just get the son of a bitch." the Siberian Husky cut him off, managing to get his grief soaked voice under control. "That's what my brothers would've wanted."

"Well said." Kurotora said supportively and Wilson jumped back in.

"He also could take a hit like nobody I've ever seen." he said and the Ohu leader's gaze panned back to him. "Uzuki managed to get a hard bite in on his neck before…"

The Collie glanced almost nervously at Kisaragi before finishing.

"He didn't even react." he said. "I think it hit a nerve cluster too and Draven…he didn't even flinch."

Gin took this in and then turned back to his friends.

"One way or another," he said commandingly, "We need a plan of action before we leave this place. We're not going to go rushing in blindly like last time. We can't underestimate these dogs again."

There was a chorus of agreeing murmurs and nods before Asher spoke up from Gin's right.

"What if we divide into groups and surround the area?" he said. "Make sure they can't escape while we send out scouts to determine their exact location."

"No." Gin replied at once. "It would spread our forces too thin. Besides, if Draven's a former military dog like Ben suggested than he'll know how to get out…and the rest of us would never be able to get there in time if he turned and attacked one of the groups."

Asher clenched his jaws tightly at this, too proud to admit that the Akita was right. A few feet to his right, Kurotora gestured over at the police dog.

"The scouts part of that isn't a bad idea, Gin." he said. "As long as they're not fools, it could help us come up with a plan of attack."

"And what if the Nomads decide to scatter into the mountains and disappear while we're waiting?" the Akita asked his friend. "As much as we need a plan, we need to act now."

"So what do you suggest?" the Kai dog retorted almost accusingly.

"We lure them out."

The voice that answered had been John, not Gin, and all eyes fixed once more on the Shepherd as he sat beside the Ohu leader.

"John?" Gin asked with a small frown and his friend looked over at him seriously.

"Every time we've tried to get to Draven, his two commanders have stood in our way." John said gruffly. "If we take them out first, he'll not only have no protection, he also won't have any way to hide his movements."

"He's right." Akame agreed after a short pause.

"But that leaves us with the same problem." Wilson observed. "How do we **find** them?"

"We lure them out." John repeated.

"How?" Kisaragi asked.

"A challenge." came the answer.

Asher raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You think if we challenge them to a fight, their just gonna step out like fools and accept?" he asked in a somewhat condescending tone.

"Not **we**." the Shepherd replied bluntly, making his displeasure apparent through his abrasive tone. "**Me**. Zach's gonna stay in hiding unless we give him a reason not to. So is Jacim. If I challenge Zach…alone…then that might lure them both out of hiding long enough for us to take 'em out."

For a minute, silence followed these words. Then Smith exchanged a shocked glance with Kurotora before looking over at John.

"John," he said, and Ohu commander swiveled his head towards him. "That's insane."

"If Zach decides to cut his losses and sics his pack on you, you'd be a dead dog." Hakuro agreed. "Even with your strength."

"It's a risk worth taking." John said determinedly.

"What makes you think he'll even go for it?" Wilson frowned. "He's not gonna step to you just 'cause you demand it."

"That's exactly what he's gonna do."

"John…" Gin began slowly.

"Gin," the Shepherd replied. "Trust me. I know him."

Then he looked around at the others again.

"He's arrogant." John explained and turned his gaze to the ground almost thoughtfully. "…That's why he and I got along so well I think. He knows me well enough to know I'd be furious after discovering him, so a challenge is exactly what he'd expect…but not a duel. He'll be expecting us to come in force. Me going alone would catch both him and Jacim off guard. Zach's pride would bring him out of hiding and Jacim would follow, to look for all of you backing me up…and that's when we'll strike."

Wilson nodded slowly and then looked over at Gin.

"It could work." he said, but the Akita was having none of it.

"No." he said flatly and glared at John. "Even if we managed to corner Jacim, that would still leave you alone against an entire enemy platoon."

"I can hold my own long enough for you to get there." John replied smugly.

"Absolutely not."

"Gin," Akame said quietly. "It's our best shot."

"I agree, Gin." Moss chimed in. "You said yourself that we don't have a lot of time."

A few of the others voiced their support as well and finally Gin lowered his head and clenched his eyes shut in defeat.

"John," he tried softly. "It's suicide."

"I have faith in my friends." the Shepherd said. "And I have faith in you…leader."

Gin met his gaze and sighed deeply, but finally nodded in agreement, bringing the discussion to an end. Seeing this, Kurotora stood back up.

"Right then," he said. "What are we sitting around for? Let's get everybody ready!"

Then he turned and trotted off and the others swiftly followed his example, leaving only Gin, John and Akame remaining in the circle silently. Akame walked around to sit in front of his two best friends as Gin continued to stare at John.

"The plan is good, leader." he said. "But I think I should go instead."

Much to Gin's surprise, John didn't get angry at this.

"It won't work, Akame." the Shepherd replied.

"I trained him, John." the Kishu said. "I know how he fights. I've defeated him twice already…I can do it again."

"And that's exactly why it has to be me." the other male countered. "He's not fool enough to accept a challenge from you with the history you two have. He knows he'll never win…even with Musashi's training added on. He'll sic his pack on you much faster than he will on me."

"But – "

"He's right, Akame." Gin finally said slowly and the Kishu met his gaze. "Besides, I need you here to help us with Jacim."

For a moment Akame was silent, the expression on his face revealing a war between his loyalty to his leader's wishes and his concern for his friend. Finally, he bowed his head ever so slightly.

"As you wish, leader." he said, conceding defeat.

Then, with one last look at John, he turned and moved away towards the rest of their troops, intending to help treat the wounded and gather them together for another battle. When he was out of earshot, Gin turned and met John's gaze intensely. The Shepherd stared back unafraid and unconcerned and Gin finally turned away as well a few seconds later. Then he paused for a moment with his back to his friend.

"Please don't make me regret this, John." he said. "I have faith in you, but still…"

He looked over his shoulder at his childhood companion.

"…don't you dare die."

Meeting the Akita's fierce gaze, John smiled. Then he stood and walked up beside him.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Gin." he said.

* * *

Jacim grimaced as he paced back and forth, his jaw aching something fierce as he glanced over at his restless soldiers. The bleeding from his mutilated cheek still hadn't stopped and every time he retraced his steps and paced once more, he saw that the trail of blood that seemed to be following him was growing more defined with every pass. Soon it would be a solid red line marking his movements, and this thought made him even more frustrated.

'Why are we waiting here?!" he thought furiously. 'Now that we have them on the defensive we should attack again and finish them off! Why the hell are we waiting around?!"

His tongue subconsciously licked over the slash in his cheek and he winced openly, his mind compiling various brutal ways he could make Gin suffer for mutilating his face. Before he had a chance to stew in his thoughts any longer though, a voice from behind him interrupted his solitude.

"Lord Jacim? You wanted to see me, sir?"

The Elkhound glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw the tall form of his main subordinate Arata, a Doberman captain of the elite soldiers. He turned the rest of the way and glared dangerously at the other male.

"Where's Draven?"

"Sir?"

"**Where. Is. He**? This lingering here is foolish!"

"Sir, Lord Draven left hours ago." came the answer, Arata's nervousness increasing noticeably. "He took 3 of our spies and headed North out of the area. I don't know where he was going."

Jacim straightened up in surprise, a vaguely impressed look spreading over his face. He snorted almost unnoticeably, his anger abating.

"He actually did it…" he whispered, turning away to face the forest once more as Arata cocked his head slightly.

"M-My Lord?" he said, sounding as though he was choosing his words carefully. "Where was Lord Draven going?"

The Elkhound glanced back at him instantly.

"Never you mind." he replied curtly. "Did you gather the rest of our soldiers together?"

"Yes sir. As per Lord Mercy's orders."

The former Police dog's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Good." he said calculatingly. "Now get back there and keep them from doing anything they shouldn't be doing. I'll be watching."

Arata tensed visibly and bowed low to the ground before turning and springing away back to where the others lingered. Jacim turned away and looked into the forest once more. He remembered witnessing the tail end of their leader's conversation with that blasted Mercy, and his inner senses had seesawed back and forth between glee and disgust at the mere sight of it.

(flashback)

_ "Gather everyone together to march North on my command." Draven ordered in a completely calm voice, sounding for all the world like the vicious, self-ordered beating he had just received at the hands of one of his commanders had never even happened. "Have them ready by the time I return."_

_ Mercy tilted his head, not bothering to acknowledge the order._

_ "And where are you going, my lord?" he asked in his smooth voice._

_ Draven slowly turned around on the spot and seemed to consider him for a moment. Then he stepped towards him and looked him in the eye. _

_ "If I told you, Mercy," he said softly, the menace in his voice palpable. "It wouldn't be a surprise."_

_ The Nomad commander didn't respond and Draven took another step forward, leaning in close so that their foreheads were pressed together and lifting a paw to rest firmly on the back of the other male's neck. _

_ "Your curiosity as to my movements and plans is flattering, brother." he practically whispered. "But it's beginning to concern me greatly. Now it's time I did__** my **__part in the war effort, and I need you here – "_

_ Jacim watched as the Nomad leader shifted his head and slid his tongue slowly up Mercy's neck, his grip on the Malamute vice-like and his piercing eyes fixed squarely on __**him**__. _

_ " – doing what your told and nothing more." the Shepherd looking dog continued, sliding their faces against each other in a nuzzle before resuming their original posture. "In other words, Mercy…your duty. I have every faith that you can do that, brother…because if you can't – "_

_ Mercy seemed to tense as Draven's muzzle moved to his sole remaining ear. _

_ " – then I'm going to drag you into those woods, bend you over a log, and you're going to see a side of me you'll wish you never had."_

_ The Nomad commander stayed stock still, only his eyes moving even an inch as Draven pulled away and turned back to the forest, his back to him once more. _

_ "I do hope I've made myself clear on this, Mercy." he said in the same calm voice as before. "Now do your job."_

(end flashback)

Jacim shuddered inwardly. It was common knowledge amongst the higher-ranking soldiers that Draven would occasionally target other males when he seemed to get sick of physically brutalizing the few females that were members of their clan. The punishment he doled out during these sessions tended to happen on a horribly intimate level, and nearly everyone dreaded it to the point of not even speaking about it aloud. The Elkhound managed to push this mental image to the back of his mind. That of course made another thought spring to mind. Why had Mercy even bothered provoking Draven's wrath by asking him directly? Was it really **that** important that he know **every **detail of the Nomad leader's plan?

True, he himself had toyed with the idea of doing exactly what Mercy had done and just asking Draven outright what their future held in store, but he wasn't foolish or reckless enough to actually do it. Draven was nicknamed "Angel of Death" for a reason after all. But Mercy…even he was rarely ever that much of a fool. Granted, Jacim admitted, he wasn't the most unbiased observer, as he had never really trusted the Malamute from the 1st day he'd joined the clan. Despite that, his suspicion had ramped up in the last few months, in no small part due to his counterpart's great intelligence and the sheer number of dogs that had seemed to escape or slip through their grasp under his watch. He couldn't be sure of his facts though. Maybe he **was** just being spiteful. After all, the Malamute had shown quite clearly that he was capable of chilling brutality when the situation called for it. Their former captain Wataru, who admittedly had been something of a loose cannon, could testify to that first hand…or at least he could have if Mercy hadn't basically tortured him to death in front of a howling and screaming crowd. Jacim snorted. "Mercy" indeed…

The Elkhound looked around. Where was the bastard anyway? After he and Draven had done their little dance and the Nomad leader had departed, Mercy had retired somewhere into the forest with a subordinate or 3 and hadn't been seen since. He looked over at their massing soldiers, who seemed to be nervously chattering amongst themselves. There was no one there to miss him. He cracked his neck, watching as the red line on the ground grew finally to be solid and completely unbroken. It was time to pay his fellow leader a little visit.

'Who knows,' Jacim thought viciously as he set off further into the trees, scenting the wind as he searched for a trail. 'Maybe I'll finally get to wipe that smug smirk off his face once and for all.'

Then he sauntered through the underbrush and out of sight.

* * *

Tesshin stood atop Gajou, casting his intense young gaze back and forth as the wind toyed with his grey fur and more and more dogs began to gather on the plain down below, most of them refugees fleeing the fighting down south. They had begged him to let them take shelter in Paradise's safe confines, pleaded with him, and though he had not let them set foot inside Gajou itself, he had allowed them to shelter themselves outside of it for a day or so before they moved on. Ben had endorsed this move when the Koga had asked for his guidance, but his compatriots Ken and Kagetora had expressed reservations about his decision, and Tesshin himself was unsure if he had made the right call.

"Contemplating where you're gonna sleep when you're in charge of this place?" came a sudden voice and Tesshin's ears perked up upon hearing it.

"Kagetora." he greeted calmly, watching as the young Kai Dog strolled casually up next to him.

"The perimeter sweep is done." the younger male said. "And I can report a sad lack of action on all sides."

"Good." Tesshin replied, then raised an eyebrow at him. "And who says I'm going to be the boss one day?"

Kagetora snorted at his expression.

"Oh, come on, 'Little Brother'." he said. "Everyone knows that you're the one Gin has his eye on. Not to mention that training you had last month with John and Akame. It's a matter of when, not if."

"You talk too much, Kagetora." the ninja dog said with a semi-irritated huff. "Gin will make his decision when he chooses and I'll accept whatever it is…and **don't** call me 'Little Brother'."

"Why not?" came a second voice and Tesshin turned to see Ken striding up as well. "You're smaller than us aren't you? Well…me anyway. Kage, you're still a dwarf."

"Ken," came the sarcasm laced reply. "**Everyone **is smaller than you."

The Great Dane rounded on him with an offended expression.

"What is **that** supposed to mean?!" he howled and Tesshin glanced over his shoulder at them crossly.

"Would you both please be quiet?" he demanded. "I'm trying to think."

Kagetora rolled his eyes, watching as a new group of dogs arrived down below.

"Tesshin, you need to lighten up." he said. "Everything is fine. There's been no word of danger from down South, we're well guarded, and the leader would have warned us if something had happened. Nothing's gonna happen. And believe me, I **want **something to happen. We Kai Dogs weren't born to sit around like this!"

The Koga didn't reply for a moment.

"I feel uneasy." he said finally. "My senses are telling me that something is wrong."

He grunted in frustration.

"But I can't see what it is!"

"Well, let us know if you figure it out." Ken said lazily, turning to walk away. "We'll be hunting for some food for my parents in the mean time."

Kagetora gave Tesshin a shrug and then turned to follow his friend, their voices disappearing as they leaped back down the side of Gajou and out of earshot. Tesshin sighed, tilting his head to the side slightly as he studied the group of refugees that had just arrived. One of them was very tall and looked pretty beat up, he saw and he turned his head once more to the Southern horizon.

'Leader' he thought warily, his mind swimming with worry. 'I hope I'm doing the right thing. I can't shake this feeling. Please hurry back.'

The dogs below huddled in groups as they shuffled around nervously, their voices carrying softly around the great stone fortress that was Gajou. Up above, Tesshin of Koga sat like a silent guardian, and remained where he was until night fell.

* * *

John walked soundlessly through the dimming forest, his gait slow and deliberate and his ears erect and listening for any sign of movement, his soldier's senses on high alert. This was enemy territory, he knew, and every minute he spent here was another one he spent in mortal danger. The Shepherd nearly smirked at that thought. So much the better… He had left Gin and the others a little less than half an hour ago, and had seen them observing his departure with silent looks of concern and nods of trusting encouragement, both of which had been greatly appreciated on his part, much as he would never admit it.

He knew that his friends were set to follow him covertly once he reached a certain distance, and he trusted them enough not to be spotted and ruin the whole plan. Until that time though, he was completely on his own, and his thoughts departed his brothers in arms and turned their attentions to another target…one that made him positively tremble with rage and bitterness. Zach… His ex-comrade would pay dearly for betraying them. That he swore. His mind raced with various brutal ways he could make the traitorous Malamute suffer and with each subsequent one that came he felt more and more morally justified. After all, this was a matter of justice!

But still, he knew, there was that one irritating sliver of doubt in the back of his brain, that one loyal part of him that didn't want to believe that his friend had turned his back on them, after all they had been through together. After all, why would someone save someone else's life from near certain death and then turn around and try and kill them a few years later? It made no logical sense. These thoughts came and went as he walked, and the trees seemed to stare down at him mockingly as he passed by. His mind continued to wander as the Nomads remained elusive, and soon memories began to come back as well.

(flashback)

…"_I'm not so sure I made the right choice." Tesshin lamented, toying with a dead mouse that was to be his dinner as it lay between his front paws. _

_John watched as Zach sat down beside him, young Ken and Kagetora joining them eagerly as well a few moments later as they all sat within Gajou. _

"_Choice on what, kid?" the Malamute asked and Tesshin glanced up at him._

"_My name." he said almost guiltily. "I – I'm just not sure it fits me."_

_Zach frowned._

"_What's wrong with 'Tesshin'?" he asked. "That's an honorable name. I told you the story behind it already, and it definitely fits you. I see nothing wrong with it."_

"_Yeah," John chimed in lazily, gnawing on a piece of boar that he had decided to wolf down. "It could be worse, kid. You're name could be 'Zach'."_

_The Malamute shot the Ohu commander a deadpan glare at this before turning back to Tesshin a few moments later, an almost cheeky looking grin forming on his muzzle. _

"_Trust me, Tesshin." he reassured. "The name you chose is perfect. It suits you well. You're right to be concerned though, this __**is**__ important. Your name __**should**__ suit you if you're a real male. Take Akame-san for example. __His name means 'Red Eye'. Fits him right?"_

_ The young male nodded after a moment, looking a little more confident._

"_Or take him." Zach nodded sideways at John, who perked his ears up immediately, smelling an insult coming from a mile away._

_ "His name is English." he said, still smiling down at them. "It means 'stuck-up', 'egomaniacal', 'conceited', or 'insufferable to be around'."_

_He had barely finished his sentence when John lunged and tackled him to the ground hard. They rolled immediately into the cave wall and began biting at each other as Tesshin and the other young dogs laughed uproariously, forcing Akame and Gin to leap over from the stone fortress's entrance to intercept them. Both leaders had exasperated yet amused looks on their faces, and had clearly overheard the whole exchange. _

_ "All right, knock it off!" Gin barked commandingly as Akame tried to get between them. "Break it up, both of you!" _

_ John instantly leapt out of the fight and landed on his paws gracefully, kicking Zach to the ground almost as an afterthought. _

_ "Sorry, Gin." he said. "Just making sure we all know our place."_

_ Zach spat a little blood onto the ground and pushed himself back to his feet, turning to Tesshin as he did._

_ "There is some speculation though," he said, as if nothing had happened. "As to whether it could also mean 'wimp', or 'hits like a girl'."_

_ John shot him a death glare at this and Akame chuckled, shaking his head as he restrained the German Shepard and pushed him away towards Gajou's entrance. _

_ "It's a wonder either one of you ever commanded anything." he chided. "Behaving like pups all the time."_

"_Yeah?" John scowled as they walked away. "Well, old habits die hard."_

"_Look at it this way, Akame." Zach said, stretching his neck as he did. "Someday we'll look back on this and laugh."_

_The ninja dog snorted, clearly doubting this, and John echoed the noise as Kurotora and Smith strode in from outside. _

"_Every time I look back at you I laugh." the Shepherd said. "Usually in a mocking tone of voice. This won't bring anything new."_

_Gin laughed despite himself, turning to his friend in mild irritation as he did. _

"_John!" he exclaimed and Zach whirled on the Ohu Commander._

"_Yeah?" he scoffed, puffing himself up a little as he did. "Well you wouldn't laugh so much if you had my view when we travel, you smug bastard. If anything, you should pity me for having to be forced to stare at your ass all day!"_

"_Tch!" John smirked, rolling his shoulders as he did. "I'm John of Ohu, kid. You should feel lucky you __**get**__ to stare at my ass."_

_Kurotora and Smith immediately burst out laughing and Zach wrinkled his nose irritatedly at his comrade as Akame just shook his head, Gin chuckling as well beside him. _

_ "God, you two deserve each other." the ninja dog said in exasperation and then turned away, leaving the group to disperse one at a time as the two males turned and met gazes once more. _

_ Then Zach gave a sarcastic bow to John and strode away out the entrance, leaving John to smirk after him triumphantly, his food waiting back where he'd left it as he stretched his back and mentally prepared insults for their next little encounter…_

(end flashback)

"Halt!"

John came to a stop instantly as he reached a small clearing in the thick foliage, his ears reversing slightly as two dogs approached him noiselessly from behind, both of them seeming to have come out of nowhere. Keeping his back to them, he remained still as a gruff voice spoke.

"This area is off limits to travellers." it said, and John heard that it was the dog on his left. "You shouldn't have strayed here."

John glanced over his shoulder, a fire in his eyes that hadn't been there minutes before.

"Get Zach out here." he demanded. "Now."

"Never heard of him." the other dog replied, his voice higher and younger than the first. "I'm not sure I like your attitude, bastard."

John turned around slowly, his eyes never leaving them.

"I'm going to give you to the count of 5." he threatened. "Or neither of you will live to see the sun rise."

"Bastard!" the first dog yelled, clearly enraged. "Tear his throat out!"

Then they both lunged simultaneously, howls baying from their throats as their legs carried them forward. Moments later there was a wet ripping sound, and both dogs flopped to the ground with muffled screams beside each other, one of them twitching in his death throes as blood erupted from his mangled neck. John turned back to his path, licking the gore off his fangs and not saying another word. At least, he didn't until he realized that his two victims hadn't been alone. All around him, dogs began emerging from the trees and encircling the clearing, some of them large and intimidating looking and others small and more suited for scouting or spying. Either way, there were a lot of them. The Shepherd lowered his head as growling rumbled from various points around him. Gin and the others had predicted right. He was badly outnumbered. He stood up straight defiantly.

"Bring out Zach!" he thundered. "Now!"

No one answered and John stepped forward challengingly.

"NOW!" he said.

"Never heard of him." came a familiar reply, and John saw a Greyhound step forward, fresh scars adorning every part of his lithe form. "But you're about to regret that you came here, brother."

"Mercy, damn it!" John shouted at him, ignoring the threat. "Get 'Mercy' out here! This is between me and him!"

"No one sees Lord Mercy. You can deal with us."

John felt his frustration beginning to grow, but breathed deeply to keep his anger under control.

"Tell him John would like a word." he said and the Greyhound seemed to scoff at him, cocking his head slightly as he did so.

"You're hardly in a position to be making – " he began.

"Tell him that if he doesn't get his ass out here in the next 30 seconds" John said, cutting him off. "Then I'm going to kill my way through this forest until I get to him…and I don't care how many of you there are."

He looked around at them as he said this last part and the growls seemed to grow in volume, the likelihood of a fight growing by the second. John steeled himself for the first wave of enemies.

"You shouldn't have come here, John."

The Shepherd's breath caught in his throat upon hearing the familiar voice, and he swung his gaze instantly up to the tree it had sounded from, his eyes landing on a large figure perched on a branch overlooking the scene. John's eyes narrowed, his every pore filling to the brim with hate. Zach of Ibaraki lay with one paw draped over the other on the edge of the branch, his aura exuding a dizzying combination of triumphant pride, fatigue and…was that sadness? John gripped the ground hard with his claws, his hackles raised to full height. Though his scars were all still in place, the Malamute's voice had deepened, and John wondered how it was that he had not picked up on that before when Zach had briefly visited them in Gajou. After a long period of silence, Zach seemed to smirk.

"So what now?" he asked. "Are we just gonna sit here and glare at each other until one of us drops dead?"

John wrinkled his muzzle in a silent growl.

"Come down here and we'll see which one of us **drops** first…_brother_." he replied, lacing the last word with a heavy dose of sarcasm as he did.

Zach stood up on the branch, turning his eyes to the sky as he utilized the balancing skills Akame had taught him so long ago.

"I knew you would come sooner or later." he said. "You're actually later than I expected. I just never thought you'd be alone. I think you're letting your ego get the best of you again…John."

"I would've come sooner if I thought you were even remotely worth my time." the Shepherd spat and Zach raised an eyebrow, looking back down at him.

"Well gosh, John." he said. "You sure know how to butter a dog up."

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

John glared over at the new interrupter and felt his anger war with a pleased sense of triumph. Jacim of Hiroshima had emerged from the trees behind the gathered dogs and was looking at John with a bloodthirsty eye, his tongue running over his lips as he stood there powerfully. Then he turned to the tree as well.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, Mercy." he simpered in a thoroughly mocking voice. "It's just that I heard about what happened with Draven and I thought I'd check on you…you know, see if you were still licking your wounds."

Zach was silent for a moment. Then he cracked his neck and nodded at John.

"He might not have come alone." he said. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once, Jacim, and go hunt down his comrades."

"Oh, that's cute. You think you can give me an order."

"Would it help if I said 'pretty please'?" Zach asked and Jacim snorted, turning his gaze to John.

"You wait 'til I get back." he said. "Then we're gonna find out together how high your threshold for pain is."

John glared back at him defiantly as the Elkhound turned and vanished into the forest once more, about half the dogs gathered there following him away in the direction the Shepherd had come. The ones remaining recircled John, and then Zach leapt out of the tree, landing with a dull 'THUD' seconds later. His gaze never left his former friend.

"Out of respect for what we once had," Zach said quietly. "I'm going to let you leave, John. I just needed to wait for Jacim to go before I told you."

There was an immediate protest from some of the dogs gathered around, but Zach straightened up instantly.

"Silence!" he snapped. "Remember who you're talking to."

This shut everyone up on the spot, and John turned to the crowd a second later, glancing around at them.

"I don't know what this dog has told you," he called. "But he's not who you think he is! He's no angel or god or anything of the sort! His name is Zach of Ibaraki! He's a lowlife thug who lies with every breath that comes out of his mouth."

Then he looked back at Zach, and a particularly painful look passed between them.

"…He's not your friend." John finished and the Malamute was silent for a time.

Then he seemed to gather himself and proceeded to give a subtlely smug look over at his subordinates, a smirk on his muzzle as he did. The moment he had, a wave of laughter echoed around the group, and a few isolated calls of "Heretic!" sounded from various points around them. Zach shook his head slowly.

"John," he said with a quietly mocking smile. "You never cease to amaze – "

John wasn't quite sure what it was that pushed him over the edge, but before the Malamute could finish his sentence, he suddenly lunged forward with a howl of rage and tackled him backwards, his jaws wrapping around the other male's neck and biting down hard as he did. Unprepared for such a brazen attack, Zach choked mightily as blood oozed from around John's fangs, and he only got free after smacking the Shepherd in the eyes and twisting himself out of the Ohu Commander's vice-like grip. Then he rolled to his feet and was immediately on the defensive. John had lunged forward again and began biting at his face with all his strength, hits that slashed only air as Zach dodged and weaved like a pro, pausing only once to land a head-butt between John's eyes that split both their foreheads open and sent blood streaming down their faces. John staggered a step, stunned long enough for Zach to leap out of range and take a fighting stance across the clearing. Then they circled.

"John," Zach said, his whole body tense as he ignored the wounds he had received already. "You do **not** want to do this with me."

The Shepherd lifted his lips higher so that his bloodstained fangs glinted in the dim light. He posture was stiff legged and his powerful form was challenging.

"Oh yes I do." he replied. "You're about to be in a world of pain, you traitor."

"You don't know what pain is, John."

"Don't you **dare** lecture me! Just keep your mouth shut and show me what Musashi taught you."

The Shepherd launched himself forward with a snarl and Zach did the same, both of them coming together in midair in a bone crunching collision of bodies. Then fangs met flesh and paws rocketed into ribcages as both males landed in a writhing tangle of limbs, their respectable battle skills making them more than a match for one another as the dogs surrounding them shouted and howled in delight. Finally, John smashed his paw into the Malamute's face three times in a hard stomp and grabbed him by the shoulder with his jaws, feeling Zach's sharp fangs penetrate the same point on him as well. Then he leapt to his paws, picked the other male clear up off the ground in an impressive display of strength, and threw him hard at a nearby tree, sending the Nomad Commander's subordinates scattering to either side out of the way as Zach's fangs tore fresh slashes in his shoulder. It didn't end at all how he wanted it to. Zach grabbed a branch in midair and in an equally impressive display of agility, swung around it and used the tree's trunk as a base to spring himself off of, sending him flying back at John. Then he grabbed the Shepherd by the back of the neck and flipped him head over heels, slamming him down on a tree root on the back of his head as hard as he could.

The hit sent John's vision into a dizzy tailspin, making everything blurry as his head throbbed in pain. It didn't deter him one bit. Leaping to his paws with a roar, he grabbed Zach by the hind leg as he started to leap away and yanked him back to the ground, scrambling onto his back moments later and biting down on the back of his neck as hard as he could, wrapping his forelegs around the Malamute's torso to pin his legs to his underside. Zach let out an agonized growl of pain and tried to flip them with his hind legs as John's grip held tight. The Shepherd was having none of this. Keeping Zach's forelegs immobilized with his own, John lifted his head and began slamming the Malamute's face into the hard earth over and over again, getting harder and harder as he kept going.

"John – "

SLAM!

"Get offa – "

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!

Blood spattered on the dirt and on John's face, and soon some dogs had seen enough.

"Boss!" three dogs chorused and lunged at John from multiple sides, coming to the aid of their leader to save him from his attacker.

The Ohu commander released his grip and swung around in one fluid motion, tearing the throat out of one and breaking the neck of another before slamming his lifeless body into the third in midair, sending them flying backwards into the crowd. Their distraction, however, had given Zach enough time to turn the tables. Leaping back to his paws with blood streaming copiously down his head and face, the Malamute kicked John in the nose as hard as he could, sending him flying backwards into a tree to land in a heap. Then he was on him before he could get back to his feet, shooting his jaws in and wrapping them tightly around the brown and black furred dog's throat. John felt fangs tear into his neck and reacted on instinct, hugging the other male's head to him tightly with his front legs and kicking him in the stomach. Zach grimaced with a grunt and stomped down on his former friend's groin, making John snarl in pain despite himself.

"You never **could** leave well enough alone, could you?" Zach growled, panting from exertion as John's hind legs tangled with his, both of them trying to claw and kick the other.

John hissed, keeping his grip firm.

"I'll break you in two!" he snarled back.

Zach lifted him up a little and slammed him down into a rock a few feet to their left. The impact had no effect and neither combatant gave up any ground. Zach glared up at him as best he could.

"I don't know why you're taking this so personally, John." he said through a mouthful of fur and flesh. "It's just something that happened. I was blind, but now…I see."

John didn't see the change in his opponent's leg stance until it was too late, distracted as he was, and moments later Zach lifted him up and threw him into a stumble, twisting out of his grip as he did. Then he lunged forward with both paws and drove his claws into the Shepherd's eyes with a deep and powerful thrust of his front legs, kicking him to the ground with his hind ones as the momentum carried him back atop him. John yelped in pain despite himself and began clawing at his eyes, shaking his head to get his wounded vision back.

"You fucking bastard!" he snarled. "I'll get you for this!"

Then Zach was on him again and slashed repeatedly at his neck and shoulders, the screams of the crowd getting louder with every hit. John threw him off and missed a couple hard bites before faking one to his neck and slashing him across the chest. Then he hit the Malamute's side…then his back…then his legs… All the while, Zach was laying into him with all his strength, and soon both males were bleeding all over their powerful bodies, spatters of blood covering the clearing everywhere. Despite this, neither of them had landed a critical hit. John smashed him across the muzzle with his paw.

"Why did you betray us?!" he demanded ferociously. "What did we do that was so wrong?"  
Zach ducked a second hit and head-butted him in the jaw again.

"You think you know so much?!" he hissed. "You think everything's clear to you, John?! You're as blind as a day old whelp!"

The next traded blows made both of them stagger slightly.

"We spared your miserable life!" John shouted.

"And I saved yours!" Zach thundered back. "We owe each other **nothing**!"

Suddenly, an uproar sounded in the distance and both dogs whipped their gazes towards it, John's expression changing to one of triumph. It was Gin and his attack group. The plan had worked! To his surprise though, when he looked at Zach, the Malamute didn't look at all concerned. Instead, a smile had appeared on his muzzle and he looked thoroughly pleased with himself, if only for a few moments before it faded once more.

"It sounds like Jacim won't be joining our little dance after all." he said smoothly in a voice heavily laced with sarcasm. "What a terrible shame."

John shook his head in disbelief.

"You sick **fuck**!" he howled, and lunged forward once more.

Across from him, Zach did the same. The fight was still not over.

* * *

Gin leaped between and around opponents as Kurotora, Moss, Hakuro, Kisaragi and the others dove into the fight with a palpable vigor, thoroughly intending to avenge the deaths of their friends and brothers in arms. The ambush had worked like a charm and now enemy troops seemed to be falling everywhere at once, making it very clear very quickly that they had been caught completely off guard. The Akita whipped his head around to survey the battle, listening as the dog he'd just slashed across the throat crumpled to the ground lifelessly. Suddenly, a commotion sounded to his right and he looked over long enough to see Asher stagger backwards from the lunging Jacim, Smith taking over his fighting position and dueling fiercely with the Elkhound moments later. He raced over to help.

"Concentrate on the leader!" he yelled to his friends. "Get Jacim! Get Jacim!"

Akame and Kouzou looked up from where they were fighting and obeyed their leader's command, converging on the increasingly trapped Nomad commander as the evil dog's subordinates scrambled to help him. The more they swarmed in though, the more they were held off by the superior fighting skills of the Ohu soldiers, with Hakuro, Moss, and Kisaragi in particular bringing them down in droves, working together as they did. Gin leapt into the air moments later with a shout, watching as Moss grabbed one of his attackers by the head and threw him hard into a group of Nomad fighters running into the fray, all of them either crumpling or flying backwards from the devastating impact. Then the Akita focused his lunge solely on Jacim, who had just kicked Kurotora over a small drop behind a tree. Gin steeled his will.

'Let this work!' he thought. 'We need this! Just let this work!'

Right before he reached his target, Jacim looked up at him. The look in his eyes was one of mild surprise and sudden realization, as if it had never even occurred to him that he was capable of being defeated. Moments later, Gin landed his hit, wrapping his jaws tightly around his opponent's exposed throat and biting down as hard as he possibly could. A sickening wet 'CRACK' sounded and blood instantly poured into his mouth in a torrent, a sensation Gin ignored as he pulled Jacim to the ground and Moss instantly leapt on him as well, grabbing both of the evil Elkhound's hind legs in his jaws and snapping them clean in two with another hard bite. Jacim's scream was muffled by the gargling of blood in his mouth from his mutilated throat, and when he finally came to rest, he was motionless on his side and still as the grave. 'Angel of Wrath' had been stopped.

Behind the panting Gin, Akame and Kurotora stepped up and took their positions powerfully, all three of them glaring down at their shallowly breathing enemy as Hakuro and the others began to finish off the scattered and confused remaining Nomad subordinates. Gin glanced back over his shoulder.

"Give them a chance to surrender." he bellowed sternly, making sure the fallen Jacim could hear him. "They're leaderless now…and we're not cold-blooded killers."

Then he stepped forward with his two friends, hearing the others beginning to gather up behind him as well and loomed over Jacim, whose side was heaving mightily as he struggled to breathe. Gin narrowed his eyes.

"I would tell you that you brought this on yourself," he said to the glaring Jacim. "And that your fate here is justice in its purest form…but you're a police dog, and you know that already. At least you would've, once upon a time."

Jacim chuckled, coughing up blood weakly as he did. Then he met the Akita's gaze.

"Y-You always w-were…a conceited pr-prick." he rasped from his ruined throat.

Gin growled and leaned in closer.

"How could a dog kill his own children?" he spat, the disgust in his voice undisguised. "His own mate? You manipulated all these dogs into blindly following you and slaughtered them ruthlessly when they didn't. How can you live with the things you've done?"

Jacim snorted as best he could.

"My f-family was mine…to do with wh-what I pleased." he said. "And these mongrels…didn't matter. They were n-nothing when…I found them… It was only f-fitting they died the same…"

Gin had never been so sickened by another dog in his life. Standing up straight, he saw similar expressions on the faces of his friends and he clenched his jaws tightly.

"There's nothing you can do to make up for the things you've done." he said. "As much as I dislike it, death is the only punishment that fits your crimes. I hope the faces of those you hurt torment you wherever you go from here."

Jacim seemed to roll his eyes, though Gin couldn't tell if it was genuine or a result of the pain he was in. As the pool of blood around his body began to grow in size and the light in the Elkhound's eyes began to fade, he grinned up at the Ohu soldiers malevolently.

"Don't…gloat just…y-yet…" he breathed as blood seeped through his fangs and slid down his lips. "You m-may have…defeated me…but I ha-have one l-last secret…to confide…"

He looked Gin in the eyes.

"It's about…Draven…"

Gin felt his whole body tense up. He could feel it in his every pore. Something was very wrong.

* * *

John panted hard as another hit landed, the numb feeling beginning to spread across his whole battered body as the battle continued on. Despite his superior fighting skills, he and Zach appeared to be evenly matched, and he wondered if his own fury was interfering with his ability to fight effectively. That thought lasted only a few moments though, as Zach's head came back around and tore another slash across his forehead with its razor sharp fangs, it's owner deftly dodging aside as John made to strike back.

"Why are you still here, John?" Zach questioned through his own panting, his one eye nearly swollen shut from repeated hits. "It sounds like Gin and the others finished their little fight with Jacim. It's too quiet now. Maybe you should go and see if they need help."

John didn't answer and dove at him, spit and blood flying as he aimed a bite at the Malamute's eyes and their fangs clashed against each other instead. Zach dodged aside again right afterwards and fixed his fierce glare on the other male.

"I mean it John." he said. "Run away. Like you said, don't waste your time on me."

"Shut up and fight." the Shepherd spat back.

"Why do you want this so badly?"

"Because you deserve to die."

Zach cocked his head almost teasingly.

"Is that it?" he asked. "Really? Or is there another reason behind it all? Do I make you weak in the loins, John?"

That's what finally made the Ohu Commander go ballistic. Lunging forward with a terrifying roar, he put his full weight into tackling Zach to the ground, negating his attempt at a dodge, and then grabbed him by the throat and shook him from side to side as hard as he could, charging over to a nearby rock as soon as he had. Then he began smashing his former comrade's head against the rock's jagged edge over and over again with his full strength, his fury seeming to surprise even Zach himself.

"J-John – " he nearly shouted and kicked the Shepherd in the underside, trying to pull his head close to him again and nullify the attack.

It did nothing. John kept slamming him into the rock again and again, ignoring the damage it was doing to his own battered body, until finally throwing him onto his back in the dirt and thrusting both his large paws into the Malamute's throat, putting his full weight into them seconds later. Zach's eyes went wide and he choked, his hind legs trying to grab John's midsection and roll them but unable to get a grip. John glared murderously right into his eyes as he did it, his gaze unblinking as Zach's tongue began to loll out of his maw.

"J-J-Jo-hn…" he gasped out, but the Shepherd kept his hold, fully intending to watch him suffocate beneath his own two paws.

Gasping out another desperate breath of air, Zach finally clenched his eyes shut in pain and craned his neck as best he could towards his subordinates.

"G-Get h-him…!" he managed to get out.

With cries of "Boss!" and "Mercy-san!", the Nomad soldiers immediately rushed forward and laid into the Shepherd, biting him on the back, sides, tail, and legs as they tried to get him off their commander. At first, John ignored them altogether, taking the pain of their assaults as he continued to focus on Zach, but eventually they became too much for him and he let go long enough to throw some of them off and get knocked to the ground on his side. Then they dove on him. Slashing left and right, John managed to kill some of his attackers with his fangs, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed him and he continued to get held down and bitten, some of the dogs screaming "Heretic!" at the top of their lungs as they stomped on him as well. For his part, Zach had staggered to his feet, gasping for air as he stumbled out of range and glared over at John hatefully. Then, finally, he shook his head and let his chin droop to his heaving chest, his eyes closing as blood dripped from his fur into a pool at his feet.

"Buy me some time to go." he rasped to his subordinates. "Then let him go and flee into the woods."

"Let him go?!" the greyhound from earlier cried. "Sir, we should kill him! He's a non-believer! How can you let him live?!"

"You heard me!" Zach thundered, his voice sounding demonic through his damaged windpipe.

Then he took a deep breath and spoke softly once more.

"Now see that it's done." he said quietly and turned away, loping slowly towards the trees away from everyone else.

John let out a howl of fury, flailing left and right for all he was worth but achieving nothing despite his legendary strength. His energy began to wane.

"You coward!" the Shepherd raged. "Get back here and fight!"

Zach kept walking away and did nothing to acknowledge him. He didn't even look back.

"Look at me, you fucking traitor! Look at me!"

There was still no reaction and John finally lost what little composure he had left.

"I WAS YOUR FRIEND!" he screamed, feeling the Nomad soldiers still biting into him viciously. "YOUR FRIEND!"

Zach stopped dead in his tracks. For a brief moment, John thought he was going to turn around and attack again. But then he stopped thrashing in confusion. Zach had glanced over his shoulder just the slightest bit, but even from his position on the ground John could see the vaguely hurt look on his face, as if he had suddenly realized what he was doing and regained his soul once more. Then, however, the Malamute turned away and vanished quickly into the trees, John's chances of winning the battle vanishing with him. Once he was gone, the Greyhound leaned in close to his ear.

"You're lucky he showed you mercy." he hissed angrily. "If it were up to me, you would've died tonight!"

Then, as if by an unspoken command, he and all the other subordinates let loose their holds on him, fleeing into the woods after their commander as soon as they had. Soon, John was alone. For a while, he sat there in silence, panting exhaustedly and letting his numerous bloody wounds argue with his attempts at catching his breath. Then he stood slowly, his legs trembling slightly as he did, and padded away himself, his path taking him towards Gin and the others. He never once looked back.

* * *

"What about Draven?" Gin demanded, his breath catching in his throat as he glared down at the mortally wounded Jacim.

The Elkhound seemed to sense his unease and gave a lopsided grin.

"D-Did you…ever wonder…" he slurred. "Where he we-went…after the battle?"

Kurotora leaned in closer with a ferocious look on his face.

"Where is he you piece of shit?!" he snarled with a low growl. "For that matter, **what** the hell is he?"

Jacim looked triumphant as his breathing got shorter.

"H-He's…a…K-Kunming Wolfdog…" came the answer. "Not that…it'll do you any…good. And as…for where he is, ask…your friend…Ben…"

"Ben?" Akame said immediately, the tension in his voice rising dramatically. "Why Ben?! Where did he go?!"

"Ask…B-Ben…" Jacim repeated softly. "After all…th-they should…be t-together…now…"

Gin's stomach fell to his feet as Jacim let out a low, malevolent-sounding laugh. Then the Elkhound made a weak choking noise and his head fell back into the dirt lifelessly, his vacant eyes staring ahead of him with a mixture of glee and vague surprise as his body went rigid and then relaxed. Then he was still. "Angel of Wrath" was dead.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then all eyes turned to Gin of Ohu, who lifted his head and stared straight ahead in shock into the forest.

"Gin…!" one of his friends breathed.

Gin knew how he felt. He said nothing, Jacim's final words hitting him like a hammer to the face.

'Oh god…' he thought. 'He's in Gajou! Oh my god…'

* * *

Ben yawned widely, stretching his hind legs with a pair of cracks as he lay inside Gajou. A storm was coming soon to Futago Pass, he could tell, and he was worried about the refugees that were resting a short distance away outside the stone fortress's walls. Part of him wanted to offer them shelter, but that decision no longer rested with him. Tesshin had made the call to leave them outside away from the confines of the Ohu Army's home base and truth be told, Ben considered the decision a good one. He was getting soft in his old age, he thought, and duty needed to come first…especially these days.

Somewhere outside, Cross hunted for his food, and the old Great Dane felt a twinge of guilt strike him. His blindness was a constant companion now, it had been for many years, and he had grown used to living life around its disabling limits. He hated, however, having to make others do things for him, things that any male should be able to do for himself. Getting food to survive was one of those things, and though Cross did the job enthusiastically and wouldn't hear a word of self pity from him, he felt truly bad making her do the hunting to keep him alive. Ben shook his head. It was too late for those thoughts, and he needed to remain on alert. That night had already fallen made little difference to him. After all, it was always night to him now. Someone needed to be ready in case something happened at a moment's notice. Such was the life of a soldier…even an aging former one. Then he heard heavy footsteps, and recognized the scent as its owner came within range.

"Cross," he greeted with a smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry for making you do this all the time."

Expecting to hear her cheerful reply of "Don't give me that, Ben! You know I love doing it!", he was instead surprised to hear nothing but a loud 'THUMP', as if she had just collapsed to the ground where she stood.

"Cross?" he asked in concern. "Are you all right? Cross?!"

Then another scent caught his nose.

'Is that…Tesshin?' he wondered.

"Tesshin?"

'THUMP' came the second noise, same as the first, and that's when Ben began to realize that something was wrong.

"Is someone there?" he demanded in a fiercer voice, reverting into soldier mode as the scent of blood reached his nose, followed by another he didn't recognize. "Who are you?"

"Shh." came the smooth sounding reply, the voice belonging to a male that Ben didn't know. "They're sleeping, brother. Best not wake them, or I'll be forced to introduce them to a…deeper kind of slumber."

"Who are you, young one?" Ben repeated, tensing up as he dropped into a fighting stance.

"Young?" the voice echoed almost amusedly. "I haven't been young for a long time. Just like you, Ben. Just like you…"

"What is it you want?" Ben asked, remaining on high alert. "How dare you attack us in our home!"

"We're both old soldiers, Ben." the voice said. "Don't get self-righteous. We both know that you could no more stop me than Gin could…than Riki could."

That's when it all connected in Ben's mind and he took a step back in shock.

"Draven!" he exclaimed, growling as soon as he had.

"You sound afraid, brother." the Nomad leader said. "That's all right. It's not a sin to be afraid, especially when your opponent is me."

"You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, I really think I will."

Then another voice broke the quiet. Ben recognized it as one of the refugees that had arrived just that day.

"Sir," it said. "The other dogs outside are beginning to wake up."

Ben could almost sense the Shepherd-like dog's smile.

"Move outside then." Draven replied. "When you're in their camp…kill everyone you see."

"NO!" Ben shouted and lunged forward blindly at the Nomad leader.

Instead of landing the blow, he found himself thrown back into Gajou's inner wall, a paw pressing into his throat and holding him in place.

"Don't tempt me, Ben." Draven hissed, his voice sharp and cold. "I've waited too long for this to have you stand in my way. Riki's dead and gone…don't make me send you to him."

"You won't get away with this!" Ben growled back. "Gin will stop you!"

Once again, Draven seemed to grin.

"Oh, Ben…" the Nomad leader said, his tone sounding like he was talking to a child. "He can't stop us all."

Then suddenly Ben felt a sharp pain erupt across his forehead, sending his head rocketing back into the hard stone wall that made up Gajou. Then consciousness left him. Ben of Ohu knew know more.


	18. Final Story: The War, Part 6

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait on this one guys! My work schedule got hectic again, and writer's block is one again my constant, unwanted companion. I look forward to seeing how people take this chapter. I went a different route than some people probably suspected. This one isn't quite as action packed as the last one, but does shed some light on my antagonist's motives. It's also kind of long because I just couldn't stop myself. :) Only 4 chapters left after this one! Hope you like it!

Thanks to AvatarCat13 and Nahualmorph for reviewing the last chapter! Really appreciate it guys!

* * *

**-Part 6: Crossing The Rubicon-**

Gin could hear the deafening silence coming from Gajou even as he crashed through the underbrush a mile away, his feet merely a blur as he kept up his full speed charge back to their home. To his left and right, his comrades matched his pace as best they could, with only the top generals able to fully keep up with the panicked Ohu leader as he ran for all he was worth. After their victory against Jacim, they had regrouped with John, who was more angry than hurt despite the blood covering him from head to toe, and quickly explained the situation they'd found themselves in. The Shepherd had clenched his jaws tightly in silent worry and in turn told them about his own battle…and how Zach had gotten away.

"I'm sorry, Gin." he'd said with the air of a male trying to keep a hold of his wounded pride. "I nearly had the bastard. But he's as slippery as he always was."

"You did nothing wrong, John." the Akita had replied. "Don't apologize. But we have to get back to Gajou quickly! Now!"

"Kouzou," Akame ordered as soon as he'd finished. "Stay towards the rear and help any stragglers. We can't slow our pace for an instant."

"You got it." came the answer.

"Males!" Gin shouted. "Move out! On the double!"

And with that, they had started their charge north back to Futago Pass. Now they found themselves nearly upon it, and Gin's worry increased a hundred-fold as they went further and further in…and still no one greeted their arrival.

"They should've met us by now." Smith mumbled from where he ran by Hakuro and Gin snapped back bitingly.

"I know!"

He had no time to be cordial. There were lives in the balance. And now, as he crested a hill and leaped over a fallen log that had lain there since last summer, there was only a few hundred feet left.

"Ben!" he bellowed, leaping out onto the plains of Gajou. "Cross! Tesshin, where are – "

The next thing out of his mouth was a horrified gasp, and his comrades quickly echoed it one by one as they joined him looking upon the scene.

"No…" Kurotora breathed. "Oh god…"

Bodies lay everywhere in front of the great stone fortress, all of them broken and bloodied, some nearly unrecognizable. To Gin's express relief, none of them seemed to be anyone he knew, and as he stepped forward and looked around purposefully, he suspected that the vast majority of them were refugees that Ben and Tesshin had taken in.

"Search for survivors!" he yelled to his subordinates and friends. "Gather the dead together and treat the wounded as best you can!"

Then he looked at John and Akame.

"John," he said. "Akame, look for Ben, Cross and Tesshin. Hurry!"

The two males nodded in unison and took off in different directions, their muscular forms disappearing around different corners as soon as they entered Gajou together a few hundred feet away. Gin was about to join them when he heard someone calling his name.

"Gin!" Musashi yelled loudly off to his right. "Gin!"

The Akita turned and quickly ran up to where his comrade was standing, Asher and Kisaragi lingering nearby as well, and saw them helping a heavily wounded dog to a laying position, a deep slash leaking blood into the dirt at his feet.

"Hold still." Gin commanded as the dog tried to sit up further. "Don't try and move. Now what happened?"

The dog, a young Labrador mix, looked up at him with a gaze that seemed to mix pain, intimidation, and great respect.

"Th-They hit during the night." he said, his voice wavering as he spoke. "I think they came in posing as others like us, ones fleeing the fighting down south."

"Did you see what happened to the males who were in charge here?" Musashi asked and the dog seemed almost guilty.

"Yeah," he nodded. "There was this…this really big male who seemed to leading the attackers. I saw him flee East with two subordinates. They…They had other dogs slumped over their backs, a Great Dane, a Saluki, and I think one of those ninja dogs, th-the ones with the mohawks."

"Shit!" Kurotora exclaimed in dismay and Gin glared at him.  
"Quiet!" he barked. "Where **exactly** did they go?"

The dog winced in pain as one of the Ohu dogs licking his wounds hit a particularly painful spot.

"Look man," he said. "I woke up from a dead sleep and we were under attack. I barely got a chance to see anything before they turned and started massacring us all. I didn't even know what was happening. I have no clue where they went. I'm sorry."

Gin grimaced in frustration. The young refugee wasn't finished though.

"I'll tell you one thing, though." he said and an air of hushed fear entered his voice. "That lead dog, the one who was in charge of the attack…there was something really wrong with that guy."

Gin's ears perked back up and Asher leaned in closer from where he sat.

"In what way?" he demanded.

"Nobody could even slow him down." the dog said, then gestured at a dead body lying nearby. "That guy over there hit him hard trying to stop him. The bastard didn't even flinch. He actually smiled. I've never seen anybody take a hit that good. That guy was seriously fucked up man!"

Following his gaze, Gin looked over at the body as well and quickly clenched his eyes shut in sorrow as he registered who it was. Less than 10 feet away from them lay the mangled, still form of their longtime guard and scout Ikaru, a male who had been a loyal, near constant presence since the war against Akakabuto had come to an end. Now his life had finally ended as well.

"Oh, Ikaru." the Ohu leader sighed deeply and walking up, rested a paw on his dead comrade's side.

Before he could do anything else though, he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Akame trot up on his left.

"No sign of Ben or the others." he said solemnly. "John's searching the upper corridors, but it looks like there was a struggle in one of the lower caves. Ben's scent is all over it."

"Draven has them." Gin said simply. "We have an eyewitness."

"Same situation as before." Kouzou chimed in and both males looked his way. "Nobody could stop the son-of-a-bitch."

Smith snorted beside him, shaking his head as the surviving refugee continued to get tended to.

"It's like the bastard can't feel pain." he remarked. "We need to come up with a new strategy."

As soon as the words left the Spaniel's mouth, Gin's eyes went wide with long awaited understanding, his mouth hanging open slightly as his gaze met Akame's, the ninja dog's expression akin to his.

"Because he **can't**…" Akame murmured quietly and Gin nodded in emphatic agreement.

"What are you blathering about over there?" Kurotora asked rudely and the ninja dog turned towards his friends.

"Think about it, Kurotora." he said patiently. "Soldiers like us are tough by nature, but everyone has his limits. We're trained to brush off pain, but we can't ignore it **entirely**. We still would react to it regardless of how strong we are. Nobody can just ignore the pain like Draven has."

"…Unless he couldn't feel it at all." Gin finished as Hakuro's and Wilson's faces went slack in understanding as well, the rest of the group following suit soon after. "Smith, that's brilliant!"

The Spaniel looked slightly taken aback by the compliment.

"B-But I wasn't serious!" he said. "Is that even **possible**? A dog that can't feel pain?"

"It's extremely rare." Akame conceded with a nod. "But it **is** possible. It would explain why he's seemed so impossibly strong all this time."

"But it still doesn't explain what the hell he's **doing**." Kisaragi said. "We should warn everyone about this and look for Ben and Cross on the double."

"Agreed." Gin said and turned and to his friends' subordinates who were standing nearby and clearing the dead from the battlefield. "Everyone! Fan out in all directions and search for Draven and Zach's scents! If you encounter them, don't engage them in battle! Regroup with one of us commanders and we'll attack from there! Move quickly! They have hostages!"

A chorus of responses sounded from the crowd gathered around and they all sprinted off into the trees around the great fortress of Gajou, disappearing in small, but determined groups as Gin felt his previously controlled panic returning.

'Hold on, Ben.' he thought, clenching his fangs together tightly. 'Hold on, Cross, Tesshin. We'll get you back. Just wait for us.'

Then he turned to meet John as the Shepherd emerged from Gajou and the two of them sprinted off together with Akame to conduct a search of their own. Watching them as they left, Musashi of Shikoku stood by and tried to push down the part of his mind that was screaming at him to run after them…to tell them the truth he was hiding. But something held him back, and he silently cursed his unflappable loyalty. So lost in his thoughts was he that he almost didn't hear Asher come up beside him and lean in close to his ear. The moment he did, he knew exactly what he was going to hear next.

"Where **is** he?" the police dog hissed angrily. "If he ran, I swear to god – "

"I don't know." Musashi spat back curtly. "Now shut up. It's bad enough I have to lie to my friends because of you. Don't make it worse by running your mouth before the mission is complete."

The Shepherd growled audibly under his breath.

"Watch yourself, Musashi." he threatened. "I don't take kindly to being disrespected."

"Good!" the fight dog said harshly in a low voice, whirling on him. "Because I want to see your face when you have to explain to Gin exactly what's been going on! Make no mistake, Asher, the only reason I'm not marching up to him right now and telling him everything is because I respect my packmate's wishes. You may have guilted him into this mission, and he may be fully invested in it now, but that doesn't mean I have to like it…or you."

The police dog was silent for a time and seemed to be seething, but Musashi knew full well that Asher wasn't stupid enough to actually attack him. Finally, the Shepherd let out a shaky sigh, rage behind every bit of it.

"He owed me a debt." he finally said.

"And that's between the two of you." Musashi said. "But your methods for dealing with it were dirty and steeped in revenge, not justice, and that's why I will not forgive you if something happens to him before this is over."

Then he turned and looked around, making sure that they were still alone.

"All we can do is wait and follow our orders." the Tosa said, shrugging a crick out of his shoulder before glancing over at the other male. "And you better have a damn good excuse for your actions when the time comes, 'cause if **I'm **angry over this…how do you think Gin's gonna react? Or John?"

Asher seemed to tense slightly where he stood and Musashi knew his message had gotten through. Then he turned and took off after where his friends had gone, watching out of the corner of his eye as Asher did the same in a different direction. The fight dog shook his large head, putting on his normal stoic mask as he did to hide his worry.

'This had better work.' he thought. 'Or else we're in big trouble.'

Then he disappeared around a bend and was gone.

* * *

Zach winced slightly as one of his numerous wounds seeped more blood, the red, viscous liquid sliding down his thick chest fur and getting matted up with the rest of the seepage just above his left leg, a result of the direction the deep slash travelled.

'Damn!' he thought in irritation. 'After all this time, all these years, John can still pack one hell of a punch!'

After the fight had ended, he had quickly travelled North to the prearranged location to meet Draven, his group of subordinates following his every move loyally as always. The Malamute snorted. The fools. Not all of them were as dumb as the dirt he walked on, so why in god's name would they continue to willingly follow him and Draven, especially after all the Nomad leader had done? It didn't matter much to him anyway anymore. There were far more important things for his mind to focus on, specifically what to say to Draven to weasel more information out of him whilst still keeping his head on its shoulders.

Now, as he approached the abandoned, burned-out bus where the Wolfdog had made his temporary home base, he cycled through the checklist in his mind of the things to always do to **not** anger the volatile Nomad leader. Fortunately, they had become almost second nature to him now, and he stepped into the charred and rusted vehicle with little hesitation, seeing Draven standing with his back to him at the rear of the bus's main aisle. What he didn't expect to see was the Nomad leader's company. Being held down off to the side where seats used to be were Ben, Cross, and Tesshin, all of them surrounded by at least 2 dogs on each side, and all of them awake and alert to everything going on around them. Zach swore under his breath, moving forward quickly just as Tesshin noticed him and the ninja dog's eyes went wide.

"Za – " he started in startled confusion, but the Malamute quickly stomped down on his muzzle, muffling his words as his jaws snapped back shut painfully.

"Be silent, boy!" Zach hissed in his smooth voice. "You have no allies here to save you."

Then he gave the Koga dog a little wink and the other male's eyes widened once more though the fleshy gag that was Zach's front leg. After a moment, the Malamute pulled his leg back.

"Consider it our mercy that you're even still alive to speak at all." he finished and turned his attention back to Draven warily, Tesshin remaining silent as he did.

"Mercy." the Wolfdog greeted. "It's good to see you still in one piece. But where is Jacim I wonder?"

"Fallen, my lord." Zach replied and then switched his tone to thick sarcasm. "A crying shame really. I might even shed a tear."

Draven glanced over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk.

"I'll bet you would." he agreed, then cracked his neck and turned back to looking out the opening where the bus's rear window used to be. "We're almost home, Mercy. There's not long to go now."

"Success to us then, my lord." Zach said. "We'll see this through to the end."

Draven lifted his head a little.

"My lord." he repeated, sounding like he had just tasted something particularly disgusting on his tongue. "You know, brother, I had a 'lord' too once, just like you all have me. A long time ago it was. He was a wolf too, you see, and took it upon himself to cultivate my military dog training with training of his own. He saw potential in me, he said, and it was up to him to bring the holy warrior that he knew was in me out. It changed me. He taught me how to fight, told me stories, and showed me what honor was really worth when it all was said and done."

He paused for a while. Then his head drooped a little as if in thought.

"His name was Gaia."

Zach tensed slightly. He remembered that name from something Gin had told him years ago, something about a war they had fought in the years long past. He cocked his head and gazed intensely at the back of Draven's head.

"Is there anything else you wish of me, my lord?"

Draven didn't respond and still seemed to be lost in thought.

"Lord Draven?"

The Nomad leader seemed to snap out of his trance and quickly shook his paw dismissively.

"No." he murmured. "No. Gather your troops for a march. Get it done quickly, Kaito."

The Malamute's lone ear perked straight up at that. It was another name he recognized, this time from his own childhood.

"'Kaito', sir?" he asked and Draven seemed to tense.

"Slip of the tongue, Mercy." he said quickly and a hard edge came into his voice. "Now do what you're told."

Zach nodded and turned quickly to leave, his thoughts racing at a mile a minute.

"Oh and Mercy, one more thing."

The Malamute stopped and looked over his shoulder with the most neutral expression he could muster.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Have you ever heard of a dog named 'Zach of Ibaraki'?"

The Malamute felt his stomach fall to his feet. He saw Tesshin, Ben, and Cross's gazes shoot to him the moment it was said and used every bit of willpower he possessed to keep the expression on his face from changing. Draven had looked over his shoulder at him again as soon as he'd spoken and finally Zach met the Nomad leader's piercing gaze.

"No, my lord." he said. "I can't say that I have."

Draven continued to stare silently for a while before turning away once more, cracking his neck again as he regained his previous position. Then he snorted.

"Neither had I." he said. "I overheard some of the others talking about him. He sounded…interesting to say to the least."

Zach stayed silent and finally Draven waved him off.

"See to your task, brother." he said. "We've not far left to go."

"It shall be done, my lord." Zach replied and walked calmly off the bus, retreating into the woods and out of sight before letting out a ragged sigh.

The exchange had been by far the most telling of any he'd had with the volatile cult leader in all the time he'd been in his presence, and Zach had a sneaking suspicion that he knew at least part of what the Wolfdog was up to. That knowledge, however, meant that he had to do something that he had secretly been dreading for a long, long time.

Inhaling a deep breath into his lungs, he turned and ran a few hundred feet into the forest, tracking down his top commander and ordering him to rally their troops together for a march, as per Draven's orders. The dog, a Greyhound, immediately snapped into action with a nod and Zach quickly stole away into the trees as soon as he was gone, his legs taking him West as fast as they would carry him. The road he travelled on would lead him exactly where he needed to go: to Futago Pass…to Gajou. He sighed again, ignoring his still throbbing wounds as he kept his pace grueling. This was not going to be pleasant in the least bit.

* * *

Smith moved quickly along the valley perimeter, his nose pressed to the ground at every step he took. Though he had left alongside Wilson and Kurotora, he now found himself alone as he approached the entrance to the river canyon, an Ohu landmark that could be treacherous if not respected and dealt with carefully. Fortunately, Smith had lived there longer than most, so he knew it like the back of his paw, something that came in handy in situations such as the one they now found themselves in.

'Not that it's doing me any damn good right now!' the Spaniel thought to himself in frustration. 'Where the hell did these bastards **go**?!'

There had thus far been no trace of Draven, Zach or any of the dogs that had apparently helped facilitate the Nomad leader's escape, and with each passing minute Smith grew more and more worried about the wellbeing of the cult leader's three captives. Ben in particular had always been one of his closest friends, and Cross… Well, the history between them was complicated, but he still cared for her very deeply. The fact that Draven had military training made it even worse as far as Smith was concerned. That meant that the crazy Wolfdog had the knowledge and the skill to be even more dangerous than he already had been. And that was saying something. Trotting precariously close to the edge of the canyon drop, Smith sniffed around some more, inhaling the scent of grasses, trees and water…but no enemies. Up above, the sky had turned nearly black, an ominous warning of the incoming snowstorm that would trigger the start of Ohu's winter. If it snowed before they found their friends, the trail might be lost. If that happened, the chances of getting them back alive went down significantly. Smith swore silently to himself.

'Where the hell did you go?!' he demanded again in his mind.

Suddenly, as his eyes were scanning the landscape for signs of their targets, he saw movement on the other side of the canyon. Letting out a little grunt of surprise, he narrowed his eyes and focused on the dog that was rapidly approaching the opposing drop, a large figure that seemed strangely familiar. Then, as the figure reached the edge and began to look around, he turned and saw Smith and the Spaniel's breath caught in his throat instantly. A pang of horrible recognition shot through him as their gazes locked together. It was Zach of Ibaraki.

"Smith!" the Malamute yelled, sounding glad to see him. "Where's Gin?!"

The Spaniel only paused for a few seconds before turning tail and sprinting full bore back towards Gajou, his sense of loyalty outdoing the pride he was wounding by fleeing an enemy. He could hear Zach's voice yelling after him and turned around just in time to see the former Ohu soldier leap the canyon in one massive bound, his hind legs nearly slipping on the wet grass at the edge of the drop as he landed. Then he ran after Smith. The Spaniel was secretly impressed. Leaping the canyon had long been a test for new soldiers to prove their worth to the Ohu Army, and it had been a long time since he'd seen someone do it so effortlessly. It was a very crude attempt compared to Gin and some of the other top males like Akame, but it was still impressive nonetheless. Sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, Smith leaped over a fallen tree and bellowed "Gin!" as loud as he could, hoping that the Akita was somewhere nearby and had heard him. Then however, a figure shot from out of a tree above his head and landed right in front of him with a crunching 'THUD', fallen sticks scattering upon his landing. Shouting in fear and surprise, Smith skidded to a halt and leaped backwards out of the way, meeting Zach's gaze as the Malamute looked at him intensely from where he'd landed.

"Smith," Zach repeated. "Listen to me. I need to talk to Gin – "

"Get back, traitor!" Smith cut him off angrily, getting into a fighting position. "Don't come near me! Where the hell are Ben, Cross, and Tesshin?!"

"That's what I'm here about." the Malamute insisted in a strangely nervous voice. "Please, let me see Gi – "

"Smith? What's wrong? Did you find something?"

Smith's head whipped to the right as Wilson emerged from the underbrush with no warning, clearly having answered his comrade's call. As soon as the Collie saw Zach standing there, he froze in his tracks, his gaze shooting back and forth between them.

"Smith?" he asked warily. "What is – "

"Get Gin!" the Spaniel ordered loudly and Wilson only hesitated a second before turning and sprinting off again.

Zach's head whipped back and forth between them.

"Damn it!" he yelled. "Listen to me!"

Smith immediately lunged forward and bit at him, trying to warn him off from following Wilson. The Malamute dodged aside before he reached him though and Smith found himself smacked backwards into a stumble. The hit, however, was weak at best, and Smith wondered angrily if the occasionally arrogant male was toying with him. Zach seemed to glare in his direction.

"I don't have time for this!" he snarled. "Now whe – "

Suddenly, distant voices came to both their ears and Smith saw Zach pause mid-word and shift his attention toward Gajou, where the noises had clearly come from. Finally, he lowered himself into a crouch and leaped high into the air, avoiding Smith's attempt to stop him and ricocheting off a tree trunk before bounding off in the direction of Gajou.

"Stop!" the Spaniel yelled after him and took off running the same way, hoping to head him off before he got there.

What the Nomad 3rd in command had in mind he didn't know, but him reaching Gajou was unacceptable. Not after all that had already happened. Ahead of him, he could see Zach's tail disappearing into the underbrush and willed himself to run faster, but seemed to gain no ground.

'Damn he's fast!' Smith thought in frustration. 'Akame just HAD to go and be a teacher to him! **There's** a fantastic lack of foresight!'

Suddenly, before Smith knew it, Gajou seemed to rise out of the earth in front of him, and he only paused for a moment as he saw Zach skid to a halt at the edge of the clearing a few hundred feet away, his eyes darting left and right warily as Ohu soldiers passed unaware close by. Then he seemed to take a deep breath and stepped out into the open, his presence immediately being noticed by a number of dogs walking nearby.

"You – You're – " one of them stuttered as his comrade turned with a wild look.

"Leader!" he howled loudly. "Here! He's here! Zach of Ibaraki!"

Smith swore under his breath and darted forward again, coming up alongside them moments later.

"Keep back!" he warned with a yell. "Nobody engage him!"

To his express surprise though, Zach seemed uninterested in attacking and instead lay down on the ground where he was, looking around him at the growing crowd. Then Smith saw Asher run up, looking as if he'd sprinted very fast to get there. He stepped forward towards the prone Zach.

"There you fucking are!" he growled in a low voice laced with dislike. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Entertaining your mate." the Malamute spat back. "Bite me."

The police dog gave an angry, offended huff and lowered his head further.

"I can't protect you here." he said. "These dogs might tear you apart."

"I know." Zach replied. "But I trust Gin. As long as he listens, that's all I need."

Smith was **very **confused upon hearing this and gave Asher a scrutinizing look.

"Asher," he said in a very platoon leader-like voice. "What's going on?"

The police dog looked at him stiffly and Zach glanced up at the Shepherd.

"I'd start coming up with an explanation if I were you." he said. "I'm not the only one this is going to get unpleasant for."

Then Smith saw his eyes widen slightly and followed his gaze in time to see the others sprinting up to them in a big group, Akame leading the way with an intense, unreadable gaze. Without saying a word, he darted past Smith and leaped over Zach's back, clamping down onto his protégé's neck with his jaws as he passed and pulling him down onto his side roughly. Then he tightened his hold and looked up at Hakuro and Kisaragi, who were there as well.

"Immobilize him!" the ninja dog ordered sternly, his voice not one to be argued with.

Both other males did what he said at once and grabbed Zach's hind and forelegs, effectively rendering the Nomad commander defenseless. Before Smith could say anything, he saw someone storming roughly through the crowd towards them and knew somehow that it was John before he even looked.

"Get outta my way!" the Shepherd said nastily to one of Kouzou's soldiers. "I'll kill him!"

"John!" Zach rasped through Akame's hold. "Akame! Listen to me! This isn't what you think!"

"Quiet!" Akame barked forcefully before turning to his friend. "John, we need him alive."

"He's not gonna tell us shit!" John replied, cracking his neck as he pushed past Kurotora. "We'll track down Ben and the others by following Draven's trail. Let's just break his neck and get it over with once and for all."

"I'm not with Draven!" Zach yelled. "Listen to me, damn it!"

John looked down at him in disgust.

"Oh, don't even try it." he spat. "We won't be lied to a second time."

"John – "

"You brought this on yourself." the Shepherd said, stepping up to him and opening his jaws.

Suddenly, Gin of Ohu arrived in force.

"John, stand down!" the Akita shouted, sprinting up alongside Wilson and jumping into the fray. "That's an order!"

The Ohu commander met his gaze in disbelief and fury.

"We should've killed him in Ibaraki when we had the chance, Gin!" he thundered back, not backing down an inch as his best friend stepped right up to him. "Why in God's name would we – "

"WAIT!"

Everyone quieted at the scream instantly and all heads simultaneously turned to look at Musashi, who was panting and looked like he had run very fast from the forest border of the plains of Gajou. After catching his breath, the Tosa met Gin's gaze apologetically.

"Gin," he said. "Don't kill him. There's something you need to know."

After exchanging a stern look with John, the Akita stepped around Hakuro and took a few paces towards his friend. He seemed wary as he approached.

"All right, Musashi." he said calmly, though there was definitely turbulence underneath. "Let's have it."

The Tosa sighed deeply and glanced at Asher, who immediately averted his gaze elsewhere, forcing Musashi to look back at the expectant Ohu leader.

"Zach's here because I told him to be." he said. "He's not here as an enemy."

A frown slowly passed over Gin's face. Then he cocked his head slightly.

"What are you saying?" he asked warily.

The response was immediate.

"He's not one of the Nomads, Gin. He's undercover."

There was dead silence following these words. Gin looked like he had been smacked across the face by something hard and the expressions of his friends seemed to mirror this, their heads turning to look slowly at each other in between muttering from their subordinates further back. Gin looked back and forth between Musashi and Zach.

"He – He's **what**?!" he demanded. "Musashi…are you serious?!"

"Yes," the fight dog repeated. "I am. He infiltrated the Nomads a year ago when they started attacking people. He's been feeding us information ever since to help get dogs to safety before they were harmed."

"Feeding us - " Gin sputtered, then yelled. "How many innocent dogs has he **killed** since this madness started?"

"He had to keep his cover." The fight-dog countered in as calm a voice as possible. "We never expected him to get as high as he did in the cult."

"Whoa! Wait! 'We?'" Kurotora asked angrily from off to the side. "Who the hell else knew about this?!"

Musashi paused for a moment, then turned and looked pointedly at Asher, who looked simultaneously defiant and guilty as all eyes turned on him, as if he were a rebellious pup that had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Gin narrowed his eyes at the police dog.

"You knew about this?" he asked in a dangerous voice, sounding not at all like his normal, kind self.

Asher didn't answer at first and seemed to swear under his breath.

"Answer the question!" Akame demanded pointedly from where he stood and the Shepherd glanced at him irritatedly before relenting with a nod.

"Yes." he said bluntly. "I knew. I was the one that convinced him to infiltrate them in the first place."

For a moment, Gin opened and closed his mouth to try and say something in response to this, but no words he could muster could adequately describe the anger coursing through him at this turn of events. Fortunately, John was much less inclined to keep his mouth shut.

"When the **fuck** were you going to tell us all this?!" he bellowed, looking angrier than Gin had seen him in a long time. "After we killed him?!"

"We should've been in on this!" Akame added, also clearly angry. "Did he even understand how dangerous The Nomads were when he infiltrated them?! Going in there by yourself with no backup is suicide!"

"He was only supposed to be there for a week at the most!" Asher retorted, raising his voice a little as well. "We didn't expect him to get as high as he did! Draven bought his act! We had to take advantage of that!"

"At the cost of what?!" Gin yelled in reply, finally regaining his voice. "You - "

He stopped, sighing forcibly to calm himself down. Then he looked hard at both Asher and Musashi.

"You know I respect you." He said in a low voice. "But this crosses the line, and we WILL deal with this later."

Musashi nodded respectfully.

"Anytime you want, Gin." He said.

Asher, meanwhile, said nothing, having the grace to look a little ashamed of himself for lying. After that there was silence from everyone there and Gin turned finally to the still immobile Zach, his anger warring with a sense of relief that his friend had not betrayed them after all. He wasn't sure which one was winning the battle. Walking up to him, he nodded at Hakuro and Kisaragi, who took the hint and released their holds, stepping back to join the main group as soon as they had. Then Zach glanced up at the looming Gin and slowly stood up, cracking his neck as he did. Finally, after looking around at the group for a few moments and meeting the Ohu leader's gaze, the Malamute found his voice.

"If you're gonna hit me," he said. "And you have every right to, please just get it over with so we can get down to business and I can tell you what I've learned."

"If I thought that hitting you would knock some sense into your thick skull then I would pummel you repeatedly until it did some good." Gin said scathingly, making the Malamute pull back slightly in surprise. "Unfortunately, being a reckless fool seems to be incurable with you."

Then he sighed.

"…So let's go hear what you have to say." he finished, gesturing at his friends with his head. "Come on. All officers inside Gajou now to talk this over. Everyone else, stand by to move out quickly if need be."

Answering barks resounded from all around him and Gin quickly turned and padded towards Gajou's front opening, John beside him as Akame and Musashi flanked the quiet Zach right behind them. At the back, Smith and Kurotora exchanged a wary glance, both of them silently agreeing to keep on their guard, in case any other unexpected surprises should make themselves known. Soon enough, they were all inside the main chamber and circled up quickly as multiple guards moved to sit by the door. As soon as they were all settled, Gin turned to Zach.

"Let's hear it." he said shortly and the Malamute nodded, seemingly not worried in the least by his leader's still noticeable anger.

"I'll get right to it then." he said, all eyes fixed on him. "I may have figured out at least part of what Draven is up to, as insane as it's going to sound."

"Are Ben, Cross, and Tesshin okay?" Smith cut him off and Zach nodded almost guiltily.

"For the moment, yes." he said. "But we need to move quickly if we're gonna keep it that way."

"Where are they?" Gin asked sternly.

"At Draven's main base with him." came the answer. "I didn't know he was targeting them or I would've intervened. I'm sorry."

"What **is** Draven doing?" Kisaragi asked and Zach looked his way.

Then he scanned the group with his gaze.

"I assume, first of all, that you've realized by now that he can't feel pain." he said and they all nodded.

"Just recently, yes." Akame said and Zach nodded in his direction.

"Good." he said. "I don't know how he ended up that way, whether he was wounded in battle or was born with that ability…I don't know. But after he stopped being a military dog for the humans, I know who took him in…trained and mentored him, like you did with me."

Gin perked up a little. Finally, they were getting some answers.

"Who?" he asked with baited breath.

Zach met his gaze.

"Gaia." he said simply and then paused for their gasps. "Of the Empire soldiers. You remember **him** I take it."

There were stiff nods to this and both Kouzou and Asher looked confused.

"Who's Gaia?" the former asked and Akame turned his way.

"He was the leader of a wolf pack we fought a number of years ago." the ninja dog replied, looking troubled. "They called themselves 'The soldiers of the Empire'. He was brutal. More of a warlord than just a pack leader."

"But Gaia never would've taken in a half-breed." Kurotora insisted. "Never in a thousand years."

"If Draven impressed him enough he might have." Akame said. "Especially if he did have mostly wolf blood in him. This also could explain the whole cult thing."

"How?" Asher asked and Moss glanced his way from John's side.

"Those mutts were really into that spiritual garbage." he grunted. "Constantly talking about their gods and how they had special attacks or powers only they could use."

"And if Draven was taught by them…maybe he really **does** believe in all of it." Wilson said.

"He does." Zach confirmed, looking over at him. "I wasn't sure until today. But he said something accidentally that made me realize what he may be doing."

"What?" John demanded harshly, speaking to his friend for the first time since Musashi's big revelation.

Zach merely glanced at him before turning back to Wilson.

"Ever heard of 'The Trials of Kaito'?" he asked and the Collie frowned.

"The what of **what**?" Smith asked, a confused look plastered all over his face and Wilson beat Zach to the punch.

"The Trials of Kaito." he repeated, still frowning in apparent thought. "It's an old wolf fable if I remember right. A story some packs tell."

"Exactly." Zach said, looking impressed. "My uncle used to tell it to me and my brother when we were young. He dealt with some of the wolf packs down near us before he died. Right before I left to come back here, Draven called me 'Kaito' by accident and I knew what he was doing…or part of it anyway."

"And this story is…what exactly?" Kurotora asked with a raised eyebrow.

Zach motioned to Wilson and the Collie shrugged and shook his head.

"Well," he said, settling down on his haunches. "In the story, Kaito is a great soldier, the leader of a war pack. They called him "The Night Walker" because he liked fighting in the dark. All the younger wolves see him as a living legend. But the wolf god Hati, who chased the moon and brought the night, was jealous of him. He wanted the night for himself. So he takes everything from Kaito, his mate, his children, his pack, his honor…everything. He leaves him alone and broken, totally without purpose or a reason to live. Then he comes to Kaito, not telling him that he's the one behind it, and tells him that if he purges world of evil in Hati's name and comes to him right when he finally eats the moon, then he'll give him back what he lost."

"What does this have to do with **anything**?" Kurotora asked rudely and Zach looked at him.

"Wait for it." he said simply.

Wilson, meanwhile, looked over at Gin.

"So Kaito believes him." he continued. "He does just that. He travels the world and kills countless dogs and wolves, all in Hati's name. Then, when he had finished, he comes to Hati at the agreed moment and demands to be given what he was promised. And Hati said: "I gave you my word, and my word I shall keep" and gave him back all he'd lost. But there was a catch. Even though Kaito had gotten back all the people he'd lost, they were just empty shells. They had no emotion, no personality, no feeling, no anything. They just walked around like ghosts. Finally Kaito couldn't take it anymore and took his own life, leaving the night all for Hati, which was Hati's goal all along."

Then the Collie stopped talking and there was silence for a long while. This was broken when Smith leaned forward with a frown and said:

"So…again, what does this have to do with anything?"  
"It has to do with **everything**," Wilson said exasperatedly, glaring at him. "Because I think Draven's trying to live out 'The Trials of Kaito'! Zach is right! I mean, look who he is! He's a former war dog that lost everything, including his ability to feel. Eventually he lives with the wolves and hears this story…but his warped mind twists its meaning. The whole moral of the story is you can't change what's done and don't anger the gods, but to Draven, all **he** heard was the part about getting back what he lost."

"So he thinks that if he kills **everyone**," Akame said, his eyes widening in sudden understanding. "And does it at the right time, he'll get back his ability to feel. He won't be a shell anymore like in the story."

"Exactly." Zach replied with a small smile. "That's what he's doing. That's why none of his movements seemed to make any sense. He's trying to live out his own version of that fable."

John shook his head in bewilderment, shrugging at Kurotora as the Kai dog did the exact same thing. Beside them though, Gin looked warily intrigued.

"But why now?" he asked. "Assuming you're right, why wait all this time and only start this up **now**?"

"Because in the story, Kaito didn't get what he wanted until Hati finally ate the moon." Akame answered. "He's was waiting for the right moment."

"Waiting for **what**?" Moss asked, speaking up once more.

"What's happening tomorrow night?" the ninja-dog asked almost casually and Gin's eyes widened, remembering back to Daisuke and the conversation he'd overheard in the junkyard while fighting Jacim.

"The eclipse…" he breathed in awed realization.

Akame and Wilson both nodded at him with small smiles. Then Kurotora shook his head again with a scoffing noise.

"That's insane." he said simply. "The whole damn thing. It fucking insane."

"It's a cult." Hakuro snorted. "Who said sanity was involved anywhere?"

"He may be insane." Zach said, looking at Gin. "But don't take him lightly because of this. This delusion is the one thing that's keeping him going and he **will** kill anyone who gets in his way. He's more dangerous than you realize."

"So where is he going?" Smith asked. "If killing us all is his endgame than why did he kidnap Ben and the others?"

Zach shook his head.

"I don't know." he admitted. "The story is only a blueprint for what he's doing. Every individual move he's making otherwise is of his own design and I don't know what he's planning for us. I don't think anybody does but him."

"In that case, we need to attack his base quickly!" Kurotora said. "Before this blasted storm hits or he gets time to do something!"

"He won't still be there." Zach replied. "I'll tell you where it is, of course, but…he'll be long gone by the time you get there."

"We'll still take a chance on it." Gin said firmly. "Where is it?"

Zach turned and nodded out the stone fortress's entrance.

"About 10 miles or so due east." he said. "In an old, abandoned bus near the river."

"I know where that is!" Kouzou exclaimed. "My pack and I passed it on our way here when we were arriving!"

"Go check it out then." Gin said. "Kisaragi, go with him. Do **not** engage Draven unless you absolutely have to. The last thing we can afford is to lose more people, especially officers."

"Got it." both males said almost simultaneously and then stood, darting out the entrance one by one and disappearing from sight moments later.

As soon as they had, Akame turned to Gin.

"We should rally reinforcements to help them, leader." he said. "Leave at the earliest possible time to counterattack."

"There may be a problem with that, Akame." Smith said suddenly and everyone's heads swiveled to see him standing near the cave's entrance, looking out at the plains of Gajou just beyond it.

Standing up quickly, Gin padded over to his friend, hearing the others beside him doing the same, and followed his gaze the moment he arrived at his side. Outside, snow had begun to fall in torrents, a thin first layer already covering the ground in the short time it had taken them to have their pack meeting.

"Winter is here." the Spaniel mused and Gin seemed to clench his jaw in frustration.

"Damn it." he muttered and John looked over at him from Hakuro's side.

"We're not going anywhere 'til this dies down." he said, echoing what was in his friend's thoughts. "We're gonna have to wait it out and hope it lets up soon."

Gin didn't reply and seeing this, Akame turned to the others.

"Get some rest while you can." he ordered. "We move out the moment this is over."

The tired dogs didn't have to be told twice, and most of them disappeared outside to join their packmates huddled together to shelter from the storm. As he passed, Musashi stopped and looked at Gin, who met his gaze unblinkingly.

"I'm sorry," the Tosa said, and it was obviously genuine. "For my deception. I wanted to tell you."

Gin paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I know." he said, and it was with some difficulty. "Thank you."

The fight dog bowed his head slightly and then ran off as well, leaving Gin, John, Akame, Smith and Zach remaining in the cave. Soon though, Smith too yawned and padded towards the entrance.

"I'll be with Kuro and his group." he said to no one in particular.

Then he turned and looked at Zach, flashing a small smile in the Malamute's direction.

"It's good to have you back." he said simply.

Then he walked away out into the snow and the cave once again descended into silence. This continued for an uncomfortable minute or so before Zach's voice broke the stillness.

"He seems different somehow." the Malamute remarked, gesturing towards where Smith had disappeared. "Smith. And I haven't seen Chutora around anywhere. Where is he?"

No one answered for a moment, but Gin finally turned his gaze to the floor and spoke when he saw that his friends weren't going to.

"He died a few weeks after you left." he replied softly. "An accident with a cliff. Smith had to put him down because of his injuries. He's never really been the same since."

Zach's lone ear reversed slightly and he seemed to stare vacantly at the wall upon hearing this. Then he shook his head almost unnoticeably.

"I didn't know." he said. "I'm sorry."

"You don't sound too affected by it." John observed bitterly from where he sat, and Gin gave his friend a warning look, one that was completely ignored by the Shepherd.

Zach snorted lightly.

"I've seen so much death this past year, John, I don't think anything affects me anymore." he replied, suddenly looking very tired. "Some of it I even caused. Chutora was a good friend…but that seems like a lifetime ago."

Then he turned and walked away, vanishing into one of the darkened corridors as his path took him steadily towards the top of Gajou, the wind howling through the stones around them all the while. After exchanging a glance with each other, the three Ohu leaders soon stood and followed him, finding him a few minutes later by scent near one of the upper entrances, overlooking the dense forests of Futago Pass and watching them slowly get blanketed in white. Gin sat down beside him as soon as they had, sensing Akame and John taking the positions directly behind the two of them on either side. Then the Ohu leader looked at his friend.

"What happened, Zach?" he asked quietly. "After everything we've been through you owe me at least an explanation. And this may be the last opportunity we get to talk before the fighting starts again so…what happened?"

The Malamute sighed.

"Asher came to me," he said. "A few months after you left. Said that I owed him for what I'd done to his cousin, no matter what you said. Then he told about the Nomads, and everything he thought they had done."

He looked up and met Gin's gaze.

"They were moving towards Shikoku at the time." he continued softly. "And Asher said that if something wasn't done about them that there could be a war. The only way to figure out what they were doing, and who they would attack, was to become one of them. Asher told me that's what I needed to do to repay him, that in order to save everyone I'd befriended…I needed to become the dog I used to be. The one I swore I never would be again."

Gin clenched his jaws in silent anger, his dislike of the police dog increasing exponentially every moment he sat there. Behind him, John muttered:

"Manipulative bastard."

Zach smirked a little.

"I only did it because I wanted to protect the others." he said. "When he first arrived I told him to shove it. You should've seen Musashi when **he **found out. I thought he was gonna break him in half in front of me."

Gin and Akame smiled at that, but John was looking at the slash wound on Zach's chest. Moments later, he nodded at it.

"Sorry about that." he said gruffly, sounding dismissive as he said it.

Zach snorted again through his smile.

"You don't sound too affected by it." he said teasingly, using the Shepherd's own words against him.

John snorted and glared pointedly down the corridor in the opposing direction, not taking the bait. Zach sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"John, I really **am** sorry." he said. "For not telling you. The last thing I wanted was to fight you in that forest."

The Shepherd turned back to face him at this, his expression akin to a disappointed father's.

"Then you should've **said** something." he said coldly.

"I **couldn't**." Zach replied insistently. "Some of those dogs watching us reported straight to Draven. They would've seen the change in your behavior even if I'd whispered it in your ear, and then Draven would've found out and everything would have been exposed."

"Before that!" the Shepherd clarified. "Back when you visited us before! You could've told us then and we could've avoided this whole damn mess!"

"Draven would have found out."

"Guys, please." Gin said wearily. "Just – "

"No, Gin!" John cut him off, then turned back to Zach. "You know, it's not even the fact that every word that came out of your mouth was a lie, it's the fact I don't know whose side you're on! Not for certain."

"Whose **side** I'm on?!" Zach sputtered incredulously.

"I've never seen a male as good at lying as you." John said, not backing down an inch. "You're convincing as a friend, you're convincing as an enemy…how am I supposed to trust you if I don't know where the hell your loyalties lie?"

For a few long minutes, Zach sat and said nothing, letting the cave fall into silence as he seemed to think hard about his friend's words. Then he stood once more and turned to face John.

"Since my words are what you don't trust." the Malamute said calmly. "Then saying more will only make this worse."

John snorted derisively.

"I'd say you're right." he agreed bitterly.

Zach's only response to this was to step forward and pull the moody Shepherd into a tight hug with his front leg, keeping his grip firm as John let out a startled grunt of surprise and froze, his expression alternating between confusion and shock as he awkwardly returned it a few seconds later. For their part, Gin and Akame also exchanged surprised glances, having the good sense to stay quiet and let the scene play out instead of intervening. Finally, after a few more moments of holding it, Zach pulled away and stepped back to where he had been. Then he met John's shocked gaze and gave his head a little tilt.

"Genuine enough for ya?" he said and then turned back to looking out at the snow, sitting down as he did.

John said nothing and merely gave a slow nod, sitting down as well as Gin and Akame took their previous positions near their friends. Zach cracked his neck slightly.

"Does that officially end our quarrel I hope?" he asked and Gin looked over in time to see John frown.

"End it?" the Shepherd replied in his gruff voice. "Now I'm just kind of confused. On one hand: thanks, that felt nice. On the other: don't ever hug me again. I'm a male you know."

Gin and Akame both laughed at this and Zach shook his head with a tired grin.

"Keep your hackles down, John, it's just a hug." the Malamute chided, then sighed deeply as the smile faded from his face and he seemed to deflate slightly. "Besides…I won't be here for much longer anyway."

All three of them perked up at this.

"What do you mean?" Gin asked warily and Zach said nothing, continuing to stare out at the falling snow.

He didn't have to say a word though, as Akame put two and two together moments later.

"You're going back aren't you?" the ninja dog said.

Gin felt alarm shoot through him at this and it took only one look at Zach's face to confirm his friend's suspicions. Moments later, Zach confirmed them himself.

"I have to." he said.

"Why?!" John demanded. "If we know what Draven is doing now, then you can help us fight him from here!"

"I don't know all of it, remember?" Zach replied. "He still has something planned before this is over, and I'm the only one that can get close enough to keep Ben, Cross, and Tesshin alive if something goes wrong."

"Zach, if he figures out who you are, he'll kill you." Akame said in concern, stepping a little closer. "Especially now that he's close to his endgame."

The Malamute gave a sad smile.

"I know." he said. "He's already begun to suspect me, I think. Right before I left to come here he asked if I'd ever heard of 'Zach of Ibaraki'. I told him I hadn't but…it's only a matter of time 'til he figures it out. Hopefully I can get Ben and the others out of there before that happens."

"Kid, if he's that suspicious then going back is suicide!" John exclaimed and Gin agreed.

"Zach, don't do this." the Ohu leader pleaded, turning to his friend fully. "We can stop him with force if we stick together. Don't throw your life away on a gamble."

"I threw my life away 6 years ago in Ibaraki," Zach replied, standing up. "When I watched my mother die and a dog named 'Mastermind' was born."

The Akita pulled back a little, somewhat offended by this.

"And what we did didn't matter?!" he asked. "What we went through together meant nothing?"

Zach looked him right in the eye.

"It meant everything." he said and Gin knew that it was genuine. "You gave me a second chance at life I didn't deserve, showed me compassion I'd never felt before, and gave me a family like I'd never had. I love you all more than I can even say. But I will not have my legacy be a bloodthirsty vigilante. My mate doesn't deserve that. …My kids don't deserve that."

All three Ohu leaders straightened up visibly at that and the entire mood of the encounter changed.

"Wait!" John sputtered, exchanging a shocked glance with Akame. "Kids?! Like actual, real, ankle-biting **kids**?! **You**?!"

"You took a mate?" Akame asked with a surprised smile and Zach nodded almost shyly.

"Her name is Kana." he said.

"The dog who led you and John into that trap in Shikoku?"

"What can I say?" the Malamute said with a shrug. "I have a thing for beautiful females who try and kill me on the first date."

Gin laughed.

"And she had pups?" he asked and Zach's smile widened.

"Four." he answered. "Three males and a female."

Gin felt a sense of happiness fill him at this news and Akame tilted his head curiously.

"What are their names?" he asked and Zach met his mentor's gaze.

"Ryu, Ryo, Hanji and Heita." he replied, his voice sounding proud while saying it. "Musashi's really taken a liking to them, though I doubt he'd admit it."

Then he paused for a moment before continuing.

"I also want you to know that I almost named one of them Akame." he said quietly. "But I decided against it. Didn't think it was fair to make the kid have to live up to the original."

Akame looked very touched by this and nodded appreciatively with a smile of his own. Zach returned it and then once again turned back to the storm. He sighed once more.

"I have until the snow eases up." he said. "Then I'm gone."

Gin sighed silently, turning his head to gaze out at the falling snow. The spruces and pines that dotted Futago Pass on every side were already coated with a thickening layer of powder, and the Akita could feel the very warmth getting sucked out of the air the longer they stood there watching, as if winter wanted them to witness its raw power firsthand on the eve of battle. Looking down the rocky side of Gajou, Gin could see the groups of dogs under his command huddled into groups, steam rising off their bodies as they tried to share their body heat in the increasingly frigid air. The Ohu leader turned to John.

"We should have some scouts begin hunting for some food for the others." he said. "Something to keep them all busy and tended to until we move out."

"I'll let them know." the Shepherd said and ran back down the stone hallway to Gajou's entrance to deliver the orders.

"We should be ready ourselves, leader." Akame said. "When we do leave, we'll need to move fast to catch up with Draven before he's able to implement any more of his plan."

"I know." came the answer. "But first I want to say something to everyone."

Then they too turned to follow John down the corridor, their powerful figures only taking a few strides before they each turned and looked at the still prone Zach.

"You coming?" Akame asked and Zach nodded once.

"In a minute." he said. "I'll catch up."

Gin turned further towards him.  
"Follow us." he commanded calmly. "I won't have you running off while our backs are turned."

The Malamute raised an eyebrow at him and stood up.

"You really think I'd do that?"

Gin nodded.  
"Yes, I do." he said. "So don't you dare."

Zach smirked and got a fleeting almost playful look on his face before turning and following his friends back down the corridors of Gajou, only stopping when they'd exited the front cave entrance and emerged into the sunlight and cold of northern Japan's winter. Waiting in the threshold was John, and the Shepherd fell in wordlessly beside them as they stepped out into the light. Seeing them, a number of dogs stood quickly in respect, something Gin merely acknowledged with a nod rather than focus on. Instead, he saw that the snow squall had hit a lull and the clouds were momentarily letting up their assault. It was time to go. Also… Looking to his right, the Akita saw Zach staring back at him, a small smile decorating the Malamute's scarred face. Zach gave him a nod.

"See you 'round, leader." he smiled, turning to walk away.

"Zach – " Gin started, but trailed off almost immediately, realizing that he didn't quite know what to say.

Fortunately, the Malamute seemed to understand.

"For what it's worth," he said in an even tone. "…know that I'm glad you came to Ibaraki that day. I wouldn't trade that year we spent together for anything."

Gin smiled at him warmly.

"Be careful." he said and the Malamute nodded, turning once more to leave as dogs stepped aside to let him pass.

"Hey." John called calmly and Zach paused, glancing over his shoulder at him.

The Shepherd's face seemed stoic, but in his eyes Gin saw a glint of deep concern and knew at last that John had forgiven their wayward friend. The Ohu beta met Zach's gaze.

"Don't die." he commanded simply and Zach smirked at him.

"Oh ye of little faith." he grinned and when the Shepherd gave him a stern look added, "Don't worry. Death's too scared to take me."

Then he turned and bounded away, sprinting off into the trees and vanishing from sight before anyone could further interrupt his mission. For a moment, Gin stared after him. Then he turned and stepped powerfully out amongst his waiting comrades, more of whom stood as they saw that something was about to happen. When he was confident that he had their attention, Gin spoke up.

"Everyone," he said loudly. "Get ready to move out!"

"S-Sir?" came a voice and the Akita looked over in surprise to see a young male from Kouzou's pack, a glint of apology in his eye. "We – There's a rumor going around that Draven can't feel pain…that he's invincible. Is it true? S-Sorry, sir, but…how can we beat him if he can't be beaten?"

For a moment, Gin was caught off guard by this and looked around at the other soldiers around him, all of them looking to him anxiously to assuage their fears. Finally, he took another step forward.

"I'm not sure how that rumor came about," he said powerfully. "But let me tell you all something. It's true Draven can't feel pain."

There was an immediate upsurge of muttering from the foot soldiers gathered nearby and the Akita raised his voice louder, making sure that all could hear him.

"But make no mistake," he said. "He is **not**, and never will be, invincible. For all his strength, for all his skill…he's just a dog, and he **will** answer for what he's done. We'll **make **him answer for it. If any of you are still afraid, remember this: we fought another enemy here a number of years ago, one that was also considered to be invincible."

He paused a moment before finishing.

"His name was Akakabuto."

The muttering returned again in full force, but this time it sounded more supportive than hesitant.

"There were dogs back then who told my comrades and I that we were suicidal for even thinking of taking on Akakabuto, that there was no way we could ever win. And still we defeated him! They said we would die in the attempt."

He looked around him at Akame, John and the others.

"We seem to still be here." he said, causing a light chorus of supportive shouts to rise up from the crowd, and chuckles from his nearby friends to follow them.

"This day reminds me a lot of back then." Gin continued, looking up at the sky. "It was snowing that day too. And I'm thinking that the rest of this battle will follow that one equally as closely…as long as you all stand with us and **fight**."

He looked around one last time at his numerous subordinates, his friends included.

"Let's do this one more time, shall we?"

At that, a thunderous roar of barks and howls of support arose from everyone there, from the oldest veteran down to the youngest rookie, and Gin stood as tall as his leader rank allowed him. As this was happening, two dogs broke through the crowd and ran up to him, both of them skidding to a halt as John and Akame regained their places at the Ohu leader's side. It was Kouzou and Kisaragi.

"Gin." the latter said intensely. "Draven was gone when we got to his base, like Zach said he'd be. But a few of our scouts reported seeing him and his army moving north towards Mutsu, specifically a place called Yagen Valley, right on the border between our territories."

Gin's ears perked up at that. It was the break they'd been waiting for! Kouzou nodded as if he understood.

"We know where he's going, Gin." the Shepherd said. "We can catch up to him."

The Ohu leader wasted no further time.

"All soldiers!" he shouted. "Move out!"

And with that, the Ohu Army was on the move again, each platoon falling in behind the others one at a time as Gin, John, and Akame led them swiftly northeast towards the Mutsu border, and the valley where the war could, once and for all, come to an end.


	19. Final Story: The War, Part 7

**Author's Note: ***hides face in shame* I feel like I owe you guys an explanation for the long absence. I meant to have this chapter done back in December, but due to a combination of events (Christmas, work, pain from a medical procedure) I didn't work on it almost at all for months. Also, I honestly just needed a break from this, as I had no desire to write anything for a while. Writer's block truly sucks I tell you…

The events of this chapter were planned from the beginning. The ending scene was something I had in mind since I started writing "Chronicles", though I toyed with changing it a number of times. In the end though, I intended this (the whole saga from the first story) to fit into the canon between GNG and GDW, which means that…well…some things I introduced over the course of "Chronicles" needed to go. This pained me to do in a couple cases, but I feel it was necessary (though I'm wondering if I should do an alternate ending just for the hell of it. What think?).

Also, due to essentially planning more chapters than were necessary, this is now the second to last chapter in the ending story of "Chronicles of Ohu". Just one more to go! Thanks a lot guys and sorry again for the super long wait! I'm not sure if any of you are still left out there, but if you are, please shoot me a review. I really appreciate every one of them. Thanks!

* * *

**-Part 7: The Mastermind (Reprise)-**

Zach sprinted through the trees as fast as he could, his breath coming out in wisps in the cold air as snow spattered up in all directions from his rapid footfalls. He was 15 miles or so out from the Ohu-Mutsu border and had been following Draven's trail for the last few hours, his sharp senses able to detect the faintest traces of the Nomad leader and his charges even as the winter storm tried ally with them and mask their trail. The fact that the volatile warlord had not waited for him before moving out did nothing to calm his already frayed nerves, but he soldiered on through the sensation and continued to push himself faster, determined to catch up with them before they had a chance to do any further damage.

Throwing himself into a rushing river, the Malamute kicked his legs furiously and swam to the other side, panting from exertion as he mounted the bank and shook the water from his drenched fur, the bitter winter air stabbing at him in small gusts as he sniffed the ground for any further sign of his quarry. All that greeted him was barren ground. Grunting with a start, Zach frantically weaved back and forth along the riverbank, searching for any trace of Draven or his subordinates and finding nothing despite his every effort. The group had disappeared.

"Shit." he swore under his breath, his eyes darting back and forth as he continued to search for any foreign scents.

Suddenly, he heard a stick snap off to his right and whipped his head in its direction, his keen eyes scanning the snow-covered landscape for any movement. It didn't take him long to find it. No sooner had he looked up than two dogs came stumbling out of the trees down the riverbank, both of them looking like they were trying very hard not to be seen or heard by anyone.

"C'mon!" he heard one hiss at the other. "We need to **go** if we wanna get out of here while we can."

"I'm coming!" the other whined. "I'm coming!"

"Oi!" Zach called, leaping towards them as he did.

Both dogs froze, their heads whipping in his direction instantly. As their eyes fixed on him, Zach saw a terrified look spread over both their faces and they began to cower. Ducking low to make themselves looks smaller, their tails were tucked so far between their legs that they were practically folding in on themselves and Zach tried hard not to roll his eyes.

"L-Lord Mercy!" the first one said. "We-We were – "

"Where did Draven go?" Zach demanded.

"We d-didn't mean to leave the ranks s-sir, we just – "

"**Where** did he go, soldier?!"

The first dog cowered even further.

"N-North, sir." he said. "I think they were heading to Yagen Valley in Mutsu."

Zach frowned suspiciously.

"Yagen Valley?" he echoed. "Why would…?"

He shook his head, not having time to dwell on it.

"Thank you." he said and moved to bound away, stopping only after the second dog spoke for the first time to him.

"You're not gonna k-kill us, sir?"

Zach's gaze softened. He gestured the way he came with his head.

"Get outta here." he said calmly. "Go back to your families."

The dogs looked flabbergasted.

"L-Lord Mercy?!"

Zach paused briefly in midstride.

"Name's Zach." he said over his shoulder. "Don't call me 'Mercy'."

Then he continued his sprint with a renewed sense of determination, his speed increasing with every step as he wracked his brain for some inkling of what Draven was doing in Yagen Valley.

'This is going to be cutting it close.' he thought. 'Very close.'

Then he leaped around a tree trunk and was gone.

* * *

Gin had been to Mutsu many times before. In fact, he had wandered around a very large part of it while on his recruiting quest for his father in the war against Akakabuto, and had long been under the impression that he'd seen it all. Now that he and the others were entering the relatively normal looking expanse of Yagen Valley however, he had been forced to admit that there were places he and the others still had no knowledge of. Their intended battlefield seemed unusually devoid of life, save for a few birds chirping in the trees overhead, and though they were gaining rapidly on their retreating quarry, something still felt off deep in the pit of the Ohu leader's stomach. Turning his head slightly, he spoke over his shoulder without looking.

"Kisaragi," he murmured in a low voice, his muscles rippling beneath his silver fur with every step he took. "What is this place? I don't recognize it."

The Husky looked around him suspiciously.

"I'm not entirely sure." he said, looking more disturbed than embarrassed by the revelation. "This area is heavily populated with humans. We've stayed pretty clear of it for the most part."

"Keep on your guard!" John barked sternly to the troops following them. "Get ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice!"

This order kept their numerous subordinates occupied while Gin and the other leaders looked around at the snowy landscape surrounding them. There was still an unearthly stillness permeating the area, and the Akita cursed Draven from the darkest corner of his soul for still managing to remain aloof and mysterious in his movements after all this time. He was used to fighting headstrong opponents, ones who cared little about anything but causing him as much pain as possible so that his home and reputation could be theirs. They were fools and easy to handle. Draven, however, was none of these things, and it was frustrating.

'Father…' he thought in silent determination. 'I'll finish what you started. Your justice will be done.'

Suddenly, as he was snapping back to attention, they turned a corner and gazed upon an open field, its virgin snow looking untouched and unsoiled, very much unlike all the landscape around it. Across from them, seemingly emerging from some sort of canyon…came a large group of dogs, a group whose numbers only grew by the moment. It was another army, and there was only one it could be. The Ohu group came to a halt and Gin stepped forward with John and Akame at his side, all three looking powerful and ready to fight.

'Here we go…' he thought.

* * *

All canyons had walls, and all walls had ledges, and the canyons of Mutsu's Yagen Valley were no different than any other of its ilk. Standing atop one of these ledges, flanked by a few of his most trusted subordinates and the dogs he called his captives, Draven of Osaka stood like a statue, waiting patiently for something only he knew. Behind him, Tesshin and Ben lay side by side, Ben's mate Cross joining them on the other side of the latter. All three of them were tense and on edge. Tesshin could feel a dull ache in numerous parts of his lithe form as powerful jaws and fangs held him immobile, and he didn't even need to look to know that his 2 elder companions had suffered the same fate. In front of them, Draven had said nothing for quite a while, and seemed to show no signs of impatience as he waited for whatever it was he had brought them here to see. Tesshin assumed it was Gin's arrival and the subsequent fight to the death that would follow, but with enemies this sophisticated and tricky, you never really knew. At this point, the Wolfdog was merely a silhouette, his features obscured by the position of the rising moon behind him in the distant winter sky. Finally, after he could take no more silence, Tesshin fixed his gaze on the back of the Nomad leader's head.

"You can't win, you know." he said, and Draven's ears perked up and reversed to face him. "You have every major boss dog in Japan out for your blood. There's no escaping this."

Draven turned his head slightly, but continued facing away from him.

"Isn't there?" he asked almost matter-of-factly. "It's funny, young one, you said that as if you know what's going on."

"I know this insane ambition of yours is going to earn you nothing." Tesshin retorted. "And our friends are going to fight 'til their last breath to make sure you're brought to justice."

The Nomad leader stood, his gaze both piercing and smug as he turned to face them and swept his eyes across their three still forms. Then he walked up to Tesshin and thrust a paw before the ninja-dog's face, holding it there unmoving as Tesshin glanced up at him in wary confusion.

"Bite it." Draven ordered.

"What?"

"Bite it." came the same calm order, just a hint of menace lurking underneath. "Snap it off. I know you have the strength. Do it."

Tesshin remained still, knowing that if he made a move, it would be the last thing he ever did. Draven's eyes remained unblinking in their predatory glare.

"Go on." he whispered. "I won't feel it. I haven't felt it for the last 7 years. It's just nothing…numb…like I'm made of rubber. An inanimate, lifeless **thing**. If I tore you apart right now, runt, you would scream and piss yourself. If you did the same to me…it would be just an inconvenience. That all changes tonight."

"Is your soul so dark that you'd commit mass murder for your own benefit?" Ben asked, taking over the argument for Tesshin. "You and I have lived long enough that we should know better. How is it I can't see and yet you're the one who's blind? Riki and I should have ended you when we had the chance."

"Riki?" Draven chuckled malevolently, ignoring the taunt. "Heh. Isn't it funny…when someone with power dies, they're remembered as though they were a god? I could tell you stories about Riki that would make your skin crawl, and yet…look at how you see him. Maybe his fate will be mine after all."

"Don't count on it. His son will finish what he started."

The Nomad leader padded over to him.

"You don't know what Yagen Valley **is**…do you Ben?" he smiled, tilting his head at the blind Great Dane.

The elderly Ohu commander was silent and Draven turned back to the ledge.

"I used to come here when I was a military dog." he said. "My comrades and I used to come and…cheat death…here, try to prove which of us was the bravest, the strongest, the most worthy."

He panned his gaze across the snowy valley.

"Just looking at it, you'd never know what it was." he continued before turning back to them. "Cause some things are buried too deep to smell. Some of your friends are **bound** to be careless, and then…well…we get to watch the fun."

All three of them tensed up further at that.

"What did you do, Draven?" Cross growled and the Nomad commander's smile widened, his eyes panning to watch as Gin and the Ohu Army suddenly came into view on the other side of the open field.

"Let me show you." he said.

* * *

Gin lifted his head high and bared his fangs as the Nomad forces squared off to them, hearing his comrades doing the same on all sides of him. Growls sounded from both sides of the field, growing in volume and reaching their greatest pitch as a large male emerged onto the brink of a ledge overlooking the Nomads' position, his confident, smug gaze panning across the Ohu forces before landing on Gin. He was indeed a Kunming Wolf Dog, the Ohu leader saw at long last, and his Shepherdish appearance was pockmarked with scars of all kinds, slashes and stabs and even a few apparent bullet wounds of old. His aura practically resonated great power, but none of it was benevolent. The Akita didn't need longer than a second to know who he was.

"Draven of Osaka!" he called, a sharpness in his voice that resonated authority. "You will surrender…or you will die."

Gin wasn't often that blunt, but his patience with their enemy had long since come and gone and now there were lives on the line. On the ledge above, the Nomad leader smiled widely.

"Gin of Ohu." he said, his voice sounding like he'd lost the habit of using it. "You're a more impressive male than I took you for. Your tenacity in your pursuit of me is something your father would have admired…but you haven't cornered me yet."

"We know what this is about." Gin said in a threatening tone. "And you have to know we'll never let that happen."

"Oh, won't you?" Draven gave a low laugh, meeting Gin's gaze defiantly. "And how do you plan to stop me? I'm sure Zach didn't tell you everything, after all."

Gin paused at that and widened his eyes slightly, a motion that was not lost on Draven.

"Ohhhhhhh…he didn't think I knew." Draven taunted then let out an amused low laugh. "I must admit your ruse was clever. Sending a killer in to fool another killer. I thought it beneath you, Gin."

The Akita remained silent, watching the Nomad leader carefully to make sure they weren't caught off guard.

"Still," Draven drawled, the veiled anger in his voice apparent to those whose ears were keen. "I suppose it was fair play. Zach of Ibaraki…what a naughty boy **he** is. I don't suppose he's important to you at all, but on the off chance he is, know that I will be personally dealing with him as soon as we part ways here and that I will be using every bit of military training I possess to make him die as agonizingly **slow** as I possibly can."

This brought a deep-throated growl to Gin's lips and Draven cracked his neck.

"First though," he said, the smile gone from his face. "It's your turn. You will fall like your father did, boy, and then the Ohu Army will be just a memory. Smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter."

Gin released a ferocious snarl from deep within his broad chest.

"Not this time." he said defiantly. "This time you fail."

Draven leaned forward over the edge, seemed to raise his hackles, and then stiffened his stance. He looked the Akita right in the eyes.

"Come and get me." he hissed.

Gin and his friends did just that. Across from them, the Nomads charged as well, their feet pounding the snow rapidly as they called out for blood. The war had begun.

* * *

"Come on, Daisuke, we don't got a lot of time!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

The teenager zipped his coat up as high as it could go as he trotted to catch up with his friends. They had just arrived in the lower part of the Aomori Prefecture and were preparing to watch the eclipse, having driven 2 days to find the best place in the area to see it. Running a hand through his shaggy hair, he looked around at the massing crowd and smirked as he realized that they were not the only ones who had thought of the idea. Numerous tourists and bystanders stood nearby fiddling with their cameras, and joining the throng there stood a group of soldiers who were keeping the peace, keeping curious onlookers out of the military base that was stationed nearby. Looking up, he moved to increase his pace…and saw a familiar face lingering in the crowd nearby.

"Dr. Hidetoshi?" he asked in shock, stopping midstride and making the older man turn in recognition of his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Daisuke." came the equally as surprised greeting as the man turned to face him. "I should have thought it would be obvious. It's not every day you see a solar eclipse in Japan. How have you been?"

"Can't complain." the teen answered, walking up beside him. "Me and some friends came up here thinking we'd have it all to ourselves."

He gestured at everybody around them.

"Stupid us, right?"

The doctor laughed.

"Well, it was a good thought." he said. "Foolish, but good."

Daisuke moved up alongside him and they both looked up. The moon shone down benevolently overhead like a beacon in the evening sky.

"How long you think?" Daisuke asked and Hidetoshi spared him merely a glance.

"Not long now." he said. "Maybe a couple hours at the most."

Satisfied with this, Daisuke turned his attention back to the people around him…and tuned into a conversation being had by a small group of soldiers off to his left.

"…seems to be moving towards the Yagen field, sir." one was saying to another. "At least 200 dogs, maybe more. What should we do?"

"As soon as they get close enough," the other answered. "Tell whoever's stationed there to open fire. We can't have that field activating. It could cause a chain reaction."

"Yes sir." the first said. "The leaders seem to be an Akita and some big wolf like dog that – "

"I don't care what dogs are leading the group, private." the other cut him off curtly. "Shoot anything that moves. Just don't let them get near that field!"

The first stood at attention and saluted obediently, turning to walk away as Daisuke turned back to Hidetoshi with a look of fear.

"Doctor," he said quietly. "Did that sound like – "

"Gin," his friend answered seriously. "Yes, it did."

"Well, we gotta **do** something! Come on!"

He moved to run off, but the older man grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Daisuke." he hissed under his breath and the teen looked at him in irritation.

"Doc, we can't just let this happen!" he said and Hidetoshi shook his head.

"We don't have a choice." he said. "Not only will we never get there in time, we won't get anywhere near it because of the soldiers already stationed there. They'd never let us within a mile of it and you know it."

"Sensei," Daisuke said weakly. "It's Gin…"

"I know." Came the answer. "And John is probably with him. We'll just have to trust that they know how to survive by themselves. I'm sorry, Daisuke, but you know I'm right."

The teen **did** know and that only pained him all the more. Sighing deeply in defeat, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair again, swearing under his breath at the unfairness of it all. Then he turned and looked back at the sky where the eclipse would happen. The moon kept glowing unperturbed.

'Gin.' he thought. 'Please, if that's you…be safe.'

Dozens of miles away, in a forest out of sight, Zach of Ibaraki was unknowingly thinking the same thing, having discovered from a local passerby the same information the human had just received.

"Oh no…" the Malamute breathed, increasing his speed drastically as he bounded away.

It was a good thing he was only minutes away. Another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

* * *

The enemies charged, their legs pumping as furiously as the blood in their veins, all of them ready and waiting for the collision, for the blood that would start to flow, the screams that would fill the air. Gin's forces came down the middle, Kisaragi's came down the left, and Kouzou's came from the right, all of them howling battle cries as they got closer and closer to the oncoming Nomads. Up on the ledge, where Draven held his captives, the ever wise Ben had just realized himself what Yagen Valley actually was, and fear replaced his burgeoning dementia in spades as he turned his head away and tried to stand up with a desperate "No!". The fangs holding him captive held firm and Draven suddenly stepped in and grabbed him by the back of the neck, wrenching his head back forward and using his paw to force the Great Dane's eyes open, making him endure the pain that had shut them in the first place.

"You will **watch** this, Ben!" the Nomad leader growled. "Consider it my funeral gift to Riki."

The elderly soldier panted quickly, knowing that despite his strength, he couldn't throw off the immensely strong Wolf dog. Up on the higher sides of the valley's border, Ben could see groups of humans rushing to the edges, slinging their guns from over their shoulders and hurriedly pointing them at the fighters down below. He opened his mouth to scream to Gin, but one of Draven's henchmen bit down on his muzzle, holding it shut with devastating force. He could do nothing. After that, time seemed to move in slow motion. More seconds passed and the soldiers kept charging. On the opposite end of the valley, Zach of Ibaraki arrived at long last, and his bellowed "WAIT!" was drowned out by the ruckus around him as if it hadn't existed at all. The soldiers were almost on top of each other now. Like a wraith next to him, Ben felt Draven lean in close.

"Behold a pale horse…" the Nomad leader whispered in his ear.

Suddenly, the ground shook with a deafening 'BOOM', the impact knocking virtually every dog in the area off his feet as a massive explosion erupted in the valley from underneath Kouzou's front line. The Shepherd himself was gone, vanished in a massive fireball along with 20 of his fellow soldiers. Off to his left, Gin leapt back to his paws with a look of horror, all his friends mirroring his expression nearby.

"What – " he breathed.

Then another explosion went up from under Hakuro's forces, sending the three-legged husky and at least 5 of his followers flying into the air with yelps of pain before they landed in a heap and another 15 or so exploded into a shower of gore and limbs. Gin felt fear seize him. Yagen Valley wasn't just an empty meadow. It was a minefield…

Suddenly, a gun went off from somewhere nearby and one of the Ohu leader's subordinates dropped where he stood, blood exploding out of the back of his head as he crumpled into a heap. Then more shots joined the din.

"GIN!" came a shout and suddenly the Akita was thrown aside, his widened eyes managing to get a glimpse of Asher's muscular form before the police dog took the bullet meant for him, his head whipping back in a fountain of blood before he landed limp on his back…and moved no more. Gin looked wildly at his friends around him.

"FALL BACK!" he screamed as loudly as he could, his blood burning with hate as he caught a glimpse of Draven's glaring form atop the cliffside crag he currently occupied.

No one argued with him. Dogs from both sides abandoned their fight in terror and ran together away from the field, a few explosions erupting every now and then and compelling them to move faster. Shots rang out from all sides now, but strangely not many of them seemed to land their mark. Skidding to a halt, Gin looked back to make sure everyone was still with them that was alive.

"Gin!" Akame hissed. "Look!"

The Akita followed his gaze and saw up on the valley borders a sight that sent his heart racing. The humans' guns that had been firing hadn't been firing at them, for at that moment, a dog the Akita recognized as a large Malamute with one ear had barreled into the nearest of the bipeds and knocked him sideways, the gun falling out of his hands as he did. Then the dog lunged and grabbed the next one by the throat, tearing it out in one vicious motion as the others nearby panicked and trained their guns on him instead, firing indiscriminately as he leapt behind the first human he'd hit and used him as a living shield. Then the volley of bullets hit a lull, and the dog turned and bounded away out of sight, isolated machine gun bursts firing into the forest after him. The delay had been small, but it had bought them enough time to get away intact, and as Gin grabbed the lingering Kurotora and half threw him to safety, he made a mental note to himself to thank Zach profusely if they all survived this. Adding to this sentiment, up on the cliffside, Draven looked livid at this turn of events, his face twisted into a hideous snarl of fury and his eyes darting back and forth amongst all of them as if he couldn't decide who he wanted to kill more.

Ahead of Gin, the Nomad leader's subordinates had seemed to come to their senses and turned with snarls to engage the Ohu forces in battle, a feat they accomplished quickly as the Akita's friends turned to accommodate them, making it so a running, bloody skirmish was being fought as they all moved to flee. Across the valley from them, Draven turned and grabbed Ben by the head, yanking him to his feet with a growl as Cross fought against her captors to get to her mate. The Wolf dog glared over at his subordinates.

"Get them up!" he roared with thinly veiled malice, watching as the human soldiers that would have completed his plan at long last charged instead into the forest after the traitor Mercy. "We need to finish this now! We're running out of time!"

"What are your orders, my lord?" one of his dogs asked and Draven looked over at him ferociously.

"Take these three and follow me!" he said. "We're moving out!"

Then he looked down at Tesshin and the ninja dog could see the desperation in his eyes.

"There's only one place this can end now." he said.

* * *

Gin looked around in a frenzy as he ran, ducking an attacking soldier's bite and leveling him with a devastating slash across the throat as John grabbed the one lunging at his back and slammed him into the ground hard enough to nearly shake it underneath them, the dog's muffled scream of pain cutting off short as the Shepherd snapped his neck with a wet 'CRACK' moments later.

"Where's Draven?" he asked intensely and Gin spared him only a glance.

"I don't know!" he replied loudly. "But if he fled, there's only one place he'll go!"

"Gajou." Akame jumped in, his white-furred front spattered with blood from their opponents.

This didn't surprise Gin in the slightest. Despite Akame's kindness, the ninja-dog was brutally efficient when it came to battle.

"Exactly." the Ohu leader said. "He's out of time and he knows it. He expected us all to die on that field. The fact that we didn't left him with no backup plan and very little time to accomplish it. If I were him, I'd head to Gajou to finish it all there."

Suddenly, Musashi leapt in to join them, Hakuro and Smith at his side.

"Gin," the fight dog said. "The eclipse is almost here. We need to move **now **if we're gonna beat Draven back to Gajou!"

"I know!" the Akita replied with a brief nod. "And he has a head start on us already, so we need to **go**!"

Then he looked around at his gathered friends.

"Back to Gajou!" he barked sternly. "Let's find Draven before he gets to our home!"

All his friends nodded and scattered in random directions, some of them lunging back into the fighting as others disappeared into the trees in search of their quarry. Gin himself could hear John and Akame tailing him loyally as they weaved their way through the trees and smelled out Draven's scent in the snow covered Japanese wilderness. The Ohu leader steeled his will. They would not fail this time. Not while he still drew breath.

* * *

Draven charged forward quickly, his heavy paws crunching in the snow coating the ground as he forced his muscular bulk to move as rapidly as he was able, a steady growl emanating from his chest as he half dragged the semi-conscious Ben behind him. Further back, his subordinates were doing all they could to contain Cross and Tesshin, the latter fighting them at every opportunity even as he was held steady by over 6 dogs at once. The Nomad leader hissed and panted, seeing his destination off in the distance like a beacon taunting him as the moon began to move into place overhead. Wait! He looked up and nearly panicked. The eclipse had nearly begun! He was out of time! Whirling around and slamming Ben into a submission position, he looked deeper into the forest and dimly heard the chaos in in the direction they'd come from, its slowly increasing volume meaning that Gin and his little band were catching up, and would long before they reached Gajou. Letting out a scream of rage, he turned and kicked Tesshin in the head as hard as he could with his hind leg, feeling no satisfaction at all as blood erupted out of the ninja-dog's nose and he crumpled into the snow with a grunt of pain. His mind racing at a mile a minute, Draven glared over at his patiently waiting subordinates.

"Give me that female and hold Ben!" he growled. "We can't drag all three of them! We're out of time!"

"What of this one my lord?" a Tosa asked, blood seeping out from around his death grip on Tesshin's neck.

"Kill him!" Draven hissed back, throwing Cross onto her back at his feet. "I'll deal with her! I'm not giving Gin the time he needs to stop us!"

Then he turned and stomped down hard on Cross's face, the Saluki's lip splitting and her eye swelling up almost instantly as his heavy weight came down upon her like a mountain. Hearing her cry of pain and shock, Tesshin and Ben fought back harder, the former's exertions sounding like strained growls and grunts as he fought against the many fangs that held him.

"G-Get off her y-…you coward…!" he rasped out through the stranglehold on his throat.

The Tosa holding him growled deeply and tightened his grip, then chuckled sadistically as a second Nomad bit down on the Koga's groin. Tesshin let out a yell of pain despite himself and thrashed even harder, getting nowhere despite his best efforts.

"Don't fight it, brother." the Tosa hissed, grunting himself as he and the others struggled to control the powerful ninja-dog. "It'll all be over soon."

Right nearby, Draven hit Cross again, slashing her across the other side of the face with his fangs before sinking them into her exposed throat. She coughed and gasped for breath, kicking at him hard as he lifted her front up into the air and then stood on her hind legs, further immobilizing her. It was useless. He was just too strong. None of the hits she did land seemed to bother him in the slightest. Cross began to see black at the edge of her vision. That's when Draven spoke.

"I heard you were a great warrior once." he said in a low, malevolent rumble. "Let me give you a death befitting the useless thing you've become."

He tightened his grip further. Nearby, Ben thrashed like a demon against his captors.

"No!" he gasped, getting nowhere through their greater numbers. "Cross!"

Draven was not to be dissuaded by his pleas. Raising up onto his hind legs, the Nomad leader moved to smash her back down and snap her neck, while his subordinates positioned themselves to tear Tesshin's throat out a few feet away. Suddenly however, a large figure erupted from the underbrush nearby like a rocket and tackled Draven from behind with a devastating force, sending them both rolling into the snow and Cross tumbling out of the Nomad leader's reach, gasping and coughing for breath all the while. With a snarl of fury, Draven whirled around and slashed at the newcomer, but the other dog was already in motion. Grabbing a sharpened stick in his jaws, he leapt over to the dogs holding Tesshin and in one fluid motion stabbed it as hard as he could into the Tosa's eye socket, a sickening squish sounding as soon as contact was made. The dog shrieked in pain and let go of Tesshin's throat, his motion allowing the newcomer to grab his tongue from in between his open jaws and tear it out with a wet rip, the Nomad's screams becoming muffled with blood immediately after. Then the area became chaos.

Draven shot back to his paws as the intruder brutalized the other dogs holding Tesshin, tearing one's throat clean out and then loosening another's sudden hold on him by snapping his hind leg like a twig and then dislocating his jaw when he screamed in pain. The ninja-dog did the rest, grabbing one of the remaining subordinates with his now free hind legs and hurling them to the ground, crushing his skull with a swift bite as soon as the rest of his torso became free. Then he leapt back to his paws as well, the growl born of his throat one of pure anger. Before he could do anything though, Draven leapt in and sent both him and the newcomer staggering with separate rapid blows, both of them regaining their feet moments later well out of his reach. It was at that moment that both Tesshin and Draven realized who had interfered.

"Zach!"

"Mercy!"

The exclamations were uttered simultaneously, one in surprise, the other in rage, and though the Malamute looked over and met Draven's gaze, his voice was directed at Tesshin when he spoke.

"Get Ben and Cross and get out of here." he said.

The ninja-dog didn't move, noting with horror widened eyes that the Malamute had been shot several times, his wounds dripping blood into the snow even as they stood there at that moment.

"No." he replied, moving up beside him. "I'll stay and fight with you. Ben, take Cross and get back to – "

Suddenly though, Zach whirled around and grabbed him by the side of the neck, throwing him hard at Ben seconds later and causing both of them to nearly collapse back into the snow.

"DO WHAT I SAY!" he bellowed, his voice laced heavily with pain. "You get them to safety and I'll buy you as much time as I can!"

"You won't last 5 minutes with those wounds!" Tesshin shot back loudly. "Zach, I can help you!"

The Malamute spared him a momentary glance.

"Help them." he said. "If any of you die here, I'll never be able to look Gin in the face. Now go!"

For a moment, Tesshin was frozen to the spot, caught between his duty and his desire to help his friend. Finally, the former won the battle. Turning to Ben and Cross, he jerked his head back towards Gajou.

"C'mon!" he said with an almost unnoticeable quaver in his voice. "Let's go, now!"

The two elder dogs looked back and forth between their younger counterparts for a moment or two but then turned and ran off towards where Tesshin had gestured, their speed surprising for ones of their age and condition. As Tesshin himself moved to follow though, he heard Zach's voice one more time.

"Hey Chibi!"

The ninja-dog stopped and glanced back at his one time friend. Zach gave him a smiling nod, his face still spattered with blood.

"Be good." he said simply.

Feeling tears welling in his eyes, Tesshin of Koga returned the nod and then bounded away, his course taking him out of sight within seconds of his departure. Then Zach turned back to the glowering Draven, who looked beside himself at this new turn of events. The Wolfdog cracked his neck.

"You fucking traitor…" he spat. "I have half a mind to wait 'til this is over and then burn you alive in front of your friends."

Zach smirked, his wounds still bleeding.

"That hurts my feelings…_brother_." he taunted and a wide grin spread over Draven's face.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." he said, then turned to his subordinates. "Kill him. Then go get Ben back. I want a sacrifice for the end of this journey."

The whole group of them surged forward at once and Zach leapt aside, slashing left and right at them and landing a few good hits before he was overpowered, 4 dogs coming down on him at once and biting him savagely, their fangs twisting and tearing at his already weakened form as each dog he threw off was replaced by another. Feeling one of them bite down on one of his bullet wounds, the Malamute screamed in pain and twisted enough to smack him in the eye, biting down on his muzzle moments later with a pain-crazed look and ripping half the flesh off of it in two hard jerks, exposing bone and gore as the dog pawed at his face in agony. Then he managed to throw himself aside away from his attackers, one side of his body already covered in blood as Draven strutted around in front of him.

"Ooo, you don't look too good, Mercy." the Nomad leader taunted as Zach struggled back to his feet. "Maybe you oughta **sit down**!"

With that, he lunged forward and kicked the other male down onto his side with all his strength, grabbing him by the hind leg moments later and swinging him headfirst into the nearby trunk of a tree, making his head split open between his ears and blood embed itself in the bark. Zach grunted in pain and kicked wildly at Draven's face, managing to connect hard enough to loosen the other male's grip and get him thrown aside. Then he landed in the snow with a small whine of pain, his tortured body begging him to stop and his pride overruling it every time. Draven advanced on him slowly.

"You have thwarted me at every turn, you miserable little fuck!" he hissed.

"Heh…" Zach wheezed. "You sh-should've killed me when you…had the chance."

Draven stopped in his tracks and seemed to nod, his face twisted into a grimace of fury.

"You're right." he said, his eyes blazing. "I should have. At least Jacim was fucked up enough that I could convince him that this whole charade would get him his family back. But you…there was always something about you that didn't belong, something…off. At least now I know what it is…**Zach**."

Zach forced himself slowly to his feet and looked over at the Nomad leader. He could feel his strength waning.

"I thought Jacim **killed** his family." he said, trying to stall for time. "Why would he want them back?"

"Why?" Draven repeated with a scoff. "Who knows? He was a broken dog, sadistic one minute and sorry the next. He didn't know what the hell he wanted…I could tell all along. That's what made him so easy to manipulate. Maybe he wanted to own them again, dominate them the way he used to. I don't care either way. The only thing he owns now is whatever patch of dirt Gin buried his useless carcass in."

Then he stepped up to the Malamute.

"Much like the one," he said, his rage returning. "That I'm about to give you."

He lunged forward, his teeth flashing in the dimming light. Zach turned and lunged as well, trying mightily to ignore his possibly mortal wounds. Moments later, blood spattered across the virgin snow.

* * *

Gin ducked another bite and grabbed the offending dog with his powerful jaws, not even bothering to slow down as he turned and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him down onto his head with enough force to knock him out cold. Then he kept running. Directly to his left, he could see both Akame and Kurotora fighting ferociously, the former using tree trunks like springboards to land numerous savage hits on enemy soldiers and the latter fighting like a berserker, tackling two dogs at once and allowing himself to get buried under a snarling, bloody pile just for the sake of having multiple targets to rip up in a short span of time. Suddenly, another obstacle!

Gin leapt over three attackers in one bound and twisted himself to flip over a pile of thrashing combatants directly beyond them, landing effortlessly on all four paws as Hakuro grabbed a dog moving to cut the Ohu leader off and tore his throat out in an eruption of blood. Gin didn't pause to thank him.

"Keep moving!" he shouted to his friends. "We have to get to Draven!"

"We'll get you there!" Kisaragi bellowed back from behind him. "Just worry about yourself!"

"Yeah, Gin!" Moss agreed from the left. "Don't stop for anything! We'll take care of these hoodlums! Draven's all yours!"

The Akita nearly grinned, his faith in his friends strengthened in the thrill of battle. Then he saw movement up ahead. Way up in front of them all, John had managed to run into stiffer resistance, his unstoppable charge finally having been slowed enough for Gin to see his muscular form again. And boy was it a sight to see. The Shepherd was apparently royally pissed, Gin saw, and the more he watched him get attacked by 4 and 5 dogs at once, the more he almost felt bad for their opponents. Ducking a slash at his face, John grabbed an attacker out of midair and swung him left and right like a weapon, leveling his other opponents all at once before breaking the first dog's neck with a audible 'SNAP'. Then he charged forward once more.

After that, more dogs fell before him with broken limbs and tattered throats, their bodies tumbling and sprawling into the snow in various states of disrepair as John kept on moving without a single pause. Gin smiled as he ran. The Shepherd was still one hell of a warrior after all this time. Then, suddenly, John stopped. From where he was rapidly catching up, Gin saw him lower his head and sniff at the ground. The Akita dodged around a bush, leveling a charging Nomad with a head-butt and not pausing to watch him crumple in a motionless heap.

"John!" he called. "What is it?!"

The Shepherd raised his head and seemed to be looking deeper into the forest. He looked back at Gin momentarily.

"It's Draven!" he shouted. "He's heading – "

Pausing in midsentence, he ducked an ambush attack from behind and grabbed the attacker out of the air as he passed, slamming him into the ground hard enough to take the wind clean out of him and then slashing both his throat and stomach open wide, blood spurting out of both the moment he did.

" – this way into the trees!" he continued as if nothing had happened. "And he's not alone!"

"Who's with him?!"

Another Nomad duo went down for the count.

"Ben, Cross, and Tesshin…" John said, a determined look passing over his slashed and blood-spattered face. "Not to mention a fuck ton of subordinates! Wait!"

He sniffed the snow again.

"I've got Zach's scent here too!" he said, looking over his shoulder at his best friend. "He must have gotten a head start on us in going after 'em!"

"Follow them!" Gin ordered, finally reaching his side. "I'll head back to Gajou and cut them off. One way or another, this ends tonight!"

John nodded resolutely and moved to bound off.

"John!" Gin stopped him with a shout, making the Shepherd pause and look over his shoulder at him.

The Akita leveled him with a serious stare.

"Be careful."

The Shepherd smiled back at him, the emotion behind it genuine.

"You too." he replied.

Then they both charged off separate ways into the trees, pursuing their quarry at all costs.

* * *

Zach gasped weakly as he tumbled into the snow again, his whole body trembling with shockwave after shockwave of sheer pain. He had managed to hit Draven a few times during their fight, leaving visible wounds on his shoulder and muzzle, but had thus far done little to no damage. This was not surprising to him. He was just too weak. Gasping for breath, which had become harder and harder for him to take in, he got to his paws long enough for the Nomad leader's subordinates to come down on him again, ripping at what little untouched flesh he had left and making lose strength even faster. Erupting up from the bottom of their pile with a furious roar of determination, he grabbed one dog and just barely managed to swing him around in an arc, leveling the rest and allowing him stumble to a few of them and end their lives with swift bites to the neck. The victory, however, didn't last long. Before he could do anything else Draven himself was there, and it wasn't long until he was taking hit after hit, the Wolf dog's fangs slashing his face and chest back and forth with repeated hard strikes, blood spattering everything around them as he stumbled. Finally he was thrown onto his back with a savage uppercut, the blow of which had been delivered by the Nomad's swinging head. His chest heaving desperately for breath, Zach blinked blood out of his eyes and looked up at Draven's face, which looked merciless and not pained in the slightest.

"How does it feel?" the Nomad leader asked. "The pain. It must be excruciating…or so I'm told."

Zach didn't bother responding, knowing that he had very little strength left as it was. Draven looked around him at the dimming woods.

"It's getting dark," he said. "Almost time now, Zach. Hati will shine down on my triumph by the end of this night…but he won't shine down on you."

Zach breathed heavily, trying to move but finding that his body would no longer obey.

"Go ahead and kill me." he said defiantly. "My soul already belongs to Gin…to Ohu. I'll walk these lands long after you fade into memory. You'll get nothing from this, Draven."

"Won't I?" came the answer. "Well…I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Then he padded over to a nearby tree and grabbed a particularly sharp spike of a branch in his jaws, breaking it off with little effort and walking back to where he'd been before. Draven loomed over his fallen opponent, casting a baleful glare down at him with the tree spike in his jaws.

"Rest now, brother." he said, his voice calm despite everything. "This is the story of how you failed."

Zach felt a grin spread over his muzzle, a replacement for the fear that he curiously lacked at that moment.

"I heard that one already." he smirked weakly. "I wasn't impressed. This is the story of how you ate a dick."

Draven's eyes widened and then he smiled as well, a thin, rage-filled expression that contained no mirth at all. Then, just as suddenly, he twisted his head and stabbed the tree spike down into his opponent with all his strength. Then he pulled it out and brought it down again…and again…and again…and again…

* * *

John clenched his fangs together tightly as he sprinted through the trees, his path and strong legs bringing him ever closer to his quarry. The scents he had smelled had been recent, and he suspected that Draven and his prisoners/pursuer only had a little bit of distance on him, a thought that made his blood burn with determination and battle lust. He knew that defeating Draven was Gin's job and Gin's job alone, but good god he hoped that he had a chance to fight the Nomad leader. The things he would do to the bastard would make most civilized dogs cringe.

'Hey,' he smirked to himself, leaping around a dead tree. 'No one ever said I had to be heroic **all** the time.'

He increased his speed, bounding up a small cliffside and down past a small stream before leveling out at a point where the trees seemed to thin. Then suddenly he paused, his muscles freezing up and his ears standing erect. There was an aura in the air that was evil. It smelled of death and malice, and he felt a wary chill go through him as the scent of fresh blood came to his nose. Deciding to be stealthier, he crouched slightly and trotted forward once more, looking around with piercing eyes for any sign of his enemy.

"Come on…" he muttered, gritting his teeth. "Come on, you fuckin' prick, where **are** you?"

He sniffed the air again, turning in a circle and scrutinizing the forest around him carefully.

"Figures your too god damn scared to fight…"

He froze. His eyes had come to rest on a small clearing to his left, half obscured by a large, gnarled tree. Littering its ground, over a dozen bodies lay motionless and in various states of disrepair, their blood staining the snow around them obscene shades of red and brown. Though he acknowledged these dead, it was one figure in particular that John stared at in silence, his breath caught in his throat and refusing to emerge. The figure was motionless like the others, but seemed isolated from them somehow, as if he hadn't been permitted to die in their presence. The smell of blood filled the air.

"…me."

John didn't know why, but something told him that this fallen soldier was familiar to him, and he rushed forward towards him with a fear that he very rarely possessed, hoping deep in his heart that it was not Ben or Cross. It was only when he got close did he recognize who it actually was.

"Zach!" he gasped and dashed up to the other male's side, skidding to a halt beside him moments later.

As soon as he had, he let out a gasp of horror, his eyes as wide as moons. Zach's side rose and fell shallowly, and as his half-lidded eyes panned over to where the noise had come from, John saw a ghost of a smile spread weakly across his face.

"J…John…" he breathed almost inaudibly.

The Shepherd didn't answer, collapsing into the snow at his side. That the Malamute was still alive at all was incredible. He was covered with fight wounds from head to toe, and the numerous holes in his stomach and side told a vivid story of how he had been stabbed repeatedly with what seemed to have been a broken branch. Other smaller holes near those differed slightly, and John could tell that they were gunshot wounds easily from his time as a hunting dog. He managed to count 3 of these before he stopped and clenched his eyes shut in horror, his stunned mind not even knowing what to think.

"Oh Jesus…" he said shakily, only one thought getting through to him at all.

The wounds were unquestionably mortal. Zach was going to die. Perhaps seeing his face, Zach smiled weakly, blood seeping out from the corners of his mouth.

"L…Long time, no…see…" he said softly and John couldn't bring himself to quip back.

He pulled himself closer and draped his front leg over the Malamute's ravaged side, his paw trying futilely to stem the bleeding.

"H-Hang in there, kid." he said, his voice trembling slightly. "Help's on the way."

"…And how…would they h-help…me…John…?"

John stumbled over his words, feeling tears welling up in his eyes and not caring in the least bit how 'un-male-like' he was being.

"I – I just…" he sputtered, then turned back to the forest. "AKAME! AKAME, GET OVER HERE! HURRY!"

"…John…"

"Shut up!" the Shepherd snapped, then softened his tone in a heartbeat. "Try not to move."

"…it's all right…

"No it's not." John replied, meeting his gaze sadly. "I should've been here. You shouldn't have had to fight him alone."

Zach smiled up at him weakly, his tail wagging slightly despite all his injuries.

"…I'm not alone now."

That did it. John felt tears begin sliding down his face and he swallowed his warrior pride, laying his head down on his friend's side comfortingly as he accepted once and for all that there was truly nothing that could be done. Suddenly, a noise sounded from somewhere close behind him and he almost whirled with a snarl, but then a voice accompanied it and he recognized instantly who it was.

"John!" Akame said quickly, intense concern lacing his normally stoic voice. "Are you all right? I heard your – "

At that moment though, he saw what was going on and the sentence died in his mouth, his body tensing just as John's had. The Shepherd glanced back at his friend and saw the ninja-dog staring down at Zach's broken form with shocked, widened eyes of his own, his expression revealing more emotion in one look then in all the years John had known him. Then their gazes met. John shook his head sadly, clearly understanding the unasked question and Akame's eyes clenched shut in a slow wince, their owner holding them that way for a moment before moving hesitantly around to Zach's front and sitting down as well. Akame looked his one time student over and sighed heavily.

"Oh no…" he said softly and Zach's eyes fluttered back open from where they'd briefly closed.

The moment he saw Akame, a new weak smile formed on his face.

"Hey…" he breathed. "…the gang's all…here…huh…?"

The ninja-dog rested a paw on the Malamute's side comfortingly.

"Zach," he said. "I'm so sorry… I – "

"No." the Ohu spy said as forcefully as he could manage, hacking out a bloody cough immediately afterwards. "…It was…my decision. Go after Draven… I didn't b-buy Ben…and…the others much of…a head start…"

Then he looked up at them as best he could.

"I'm…" he wheezed. "S-Sorry I…couldn't…stop him. I…tried…"

"No," John replied gently. "You did great, kid."

Akame nodded and leaned in a little closer.

"I'm proud of you." he said softly, tears forming in his eyes as well. "You rest now, okay? Get some sleep."

"…It was…an honor…Akame of Iga…"

"The honor was mine." Akame replied, his voice shaking through his sadness. "Zach of Ohu."

Then he turned and met John's gaze. The Shepherd gestured into the trees.

"Go." he said. "Gin will need you. I'll catch up."

Akame nodded and took a deep breath. Then he turned and ran off into the trees like a bullet, never once looking back as he did. For his part, John shifted his position and slid himself closer to Zach's rapidly stilling form, letting the Malamute's head rest on his front legs and then lowering his own head down onto his friend's neck comfortingly. Zach spoke softly, his breaths becoming more and more labored.

"Y-You should…go too…John."

"Nah," John said. "I think I'll stay with you."

"…Why…?"

"Who knows?" the Shepherd smirked through his tears. "I might just have to convince Riki and the others not to kick you out of the next world. If you were this annoying to me, then they might be pissed I sent you to 'em."

Zach seemed to smile widely, not having the strength left to laugh.

"…Arrogant asshole…" he said.

"Sarcastic bastard." John replied fondly.

Zach sighed, closing his eyes as he did.

"Remember…John?" he asked so softly that it was barely audible. "…When you…asked me…if I st-still…wanted…to go…home? Way…back when…we…met?"

"Of course."

"I think…I'm ready…to go home…now…"

John clenched his own eyes shut.

"Go get 'em." he whispered back. "I'll be right behind."

Then, just as John finished speaking, Zach took one last grating breath and died quietly in his arms. The clearing was silent once more. His whole body trembling with sobs, John hugged the Malamute to him tightly with his front legs, only letting go when he had gotten a hold of himself a little some time later. Once he had, he stood back up, looking off in the direction of Gajou with renewed determination.

'You better hope to god Gin kills you, Draven.' he thought brutally, the winter wind toying with his blood soaked fur. 'Cause if he doesn't, I guarantee you you'll die much slower at my fangs. You wanna know what pain is? Allow me to introduce you.'

He leaned down and heaved Zach's body onto his back, only moving when his passenger was firmly in place. Then he headed for home.


End file.
